EU austerity is feeding racism, report says

European countries must learn to manage diversity or risk losing a rich pool of economic talent, the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has warned in its annual report foe 2011 issued in May 2012.

Welfare cuts, diminished job opportunities and a consequent rise in intolerance towards both immigrant groups and older historical minorities are worrying trends emerging from ECRI’s country-by-country visits during 2011, the report reveals. Xenophobic rhetoric is now part of mainstream debate and extremists are increasingly using social media to channel their views, whilst discrimination against the Roma continues to worsen.

The report regrets that some countries failed to manage the influx of migrants and asylum seekers in 2011, with excessively rapid returns and poor reception conditions. It calls on European governments to bolster the capacity of national human rights bodies rather than using the economic crisis as a reason to cut back their resources.

Council of Europe: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/default_en.asp

Council of Europe: ECRI: Press Release, 3.5.12: Europe’s governments urged to act as economic gloom prompts rise in racism http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/Library/PressReleases/109-03_05_2012_AnnualReport2011_en.asp

Council of Europe: ECRI: Annual Report 2011 http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/ecri/activities/Annual_Reports/Annual%20report%202011.pdf

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