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Image from a demonstration against racism in Paris. Archive image.
1 / 2Photo: Thomas Padilla/AP/TT
Verbal abuse and discrimination in everyday life as well as in the labor and housing market.
Nearly half of the people of African origin who take part in a new EU study testify that they have been subjected to racism.
Racism is increasing in Europe – and manifests itself in a variety of expressions, according to the study “Being black in the EU”, which was carried out in 2022 by the Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, FRA. 45 percent of the survey’s 6,752 participants then stated that they had been exposed to some form of racial discrimination – compared to 39 percent in 2016, when the same survey was conducted.
The study was conducted in 13 EU countries and the respondents were either themselves born in an African country south of the Sahara or have at least one parent who was.
Violations in everyday life
Racism also takes many forms, according to the survey. The participants testify about everything from verbal abuse to discriminatory treatment in everyday life – in public transport, in shops and in restaurants.
Among other things, the results show that 30 percent of the participants have temporary work contracts – compared to 11 percent of the rest of the population.
23 percent of respondents also say they have been stopped from renting a home by a private landlord because of their origin.
The largest number of participants testifying to racism is found in Germany, where 76 percent of respondents say they have been subjected to discrimination in the past five years. In second place comes Austria with 72 percent.
One of the countries that has seen a decrease between 2016 and 2022 is Sweden, according to the study. Here, 25 percent of those questioned in 2022 testified that they had been exposed to racism, compared to 51 percent in 2016.
EU: “Pervasive” racism
Michael O’Flaherty, head of the EU’s agency for fundamental rights, calls the study’s results “disgraceful”, writes The Guardian.
“It is shocking that there has been no improvement since 2016. Instead, more and more people of African descent are being discriminated against – only because of their skin colour,” writes O’Flaherty in a comment.
“Racism is pervasive – and it persists.”
FACT Study “Being black in the EU”.
The survey was carried out in 2022 by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, FRA.
The study concerns the EU countries Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
Participants are either themselves born in a sub-Saharan African country or have at least one parent who is.
The people who participated were at least 16 years old at the time of the survey. 53 percent were men and 47 percent women.
Source: EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, FRA.
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