Nearly half of Muslims in the European Union face racism and discrimination in their daily lives, from bullying of children in schools, inequality in employment to prejudice when renting apartments, according to a new report by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).
The research indicates a rise in racial discrimination against immigrants and their children, which is highest in Austria, Germany, and Finland. “Muslim women, men, and children are targeted not only because of their religion but also because of their skin color and ethnic or immigrant background,” FRA said, adding that young Muslims born in the EU and women who wear religious clothing are particularly affected.
The report “Being Muslim in the EU” shows that racism, discrimination, and harassment are still a daily reality for many Muslims living in the EU. The survey involved more than 9,600 Muslims in 13 EU member states (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden) from October 2021 to October 2022, FRA said, noting that the data was collected before the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and the war in Gaza.
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In the five years before the survey, nearly half of all Muslims – 47% – had experienced racial discrimination, which is 8% more than in 2016 when the previous survey was conducted. In Austria, that percentage is as high as 71%, in Germany 68%, and in Finland 63%.
Muslims face the most discrimination when looking for a job (39%) or in the workplace (35%), compared to 31% and 23% in 2016. This affects other areas of life, such as housing, education, or healthcare, FRA said.
A third of respondents said they were unable to buy or rent a house due to discrimination, compared to 22% in 2016. Women who wear religious clothing face more racial discrimination than those who do not, especially when looking for a job – 45% compared to 31% five years earlier, and among young women, aged 16 to 24, that percentage is even higher – 58%. Nearly one in three Muslims said they had experienced racially motivated harassment, most of them multiple times. The research also shows that Muslims are three times more likely to drop out of school than the general EU population – 30% versus 9.6%. A third of Muslim households struggle to make ends meet compared to 19% of households in general.
FRA Director, Michela Rautio, said she was alarmed by the increasing racism and discrimination against Muslims in Europe, fueled by conflicts in the Middle East and exacerbated by dehumanizing anti-Muslim rhetoric across the continent. “Instead of sowing division in our societies, we must ensure that everyone in the EU feels safe, included, and respected, regardless of their skin color, origin, or religion,” Rautio said.
The FRA has called on the European Union and its member states to renew the EU’s anti-racism plan after 2025 to effectively combat racism and discrimination, with a particular focus on anti-Muslim racism, to impose stricter penalties for discrimination and hate crimes, and to collect data on all grounds of discrimination to better inform policymaking, set goals, and monitor progress.
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Source: N1
Photo: AFP