The first ever EU-wide survey on racism has revealed what most of us already knew. Racism is endemic and minority groups are the targets of violence, discrimination, and harassment. It’s a sad testimony for a continent that prides itself on the values of enlightenment.
Published by the European Agency for Fundamental Rights , the report compiled information collected from 23500 face to face interviews with immigrant and minority populations throughout the 27 member states. 5000 Europeans were also interviewed to compare the stats. The full results will be revealed in December 2009.
“The survey reveals how large the ‘dark figure’ of racist crime and discrimination really is in the EU. Official racism figures only show the tip of the iceberg,” saidFRA Director Morten Kjaerum.
