Muslims living in the EU report an increase in discrimination, xenophobia and racism

Half of Muslims who live and work in the European Union (EU) feel growing discrimination and insecurity, which affects both those who have recently arrived and those born and raised here, and in which Islamophobia is mixed with racism.

This is what the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) of the European Union warns in a report prepared on the testimony of some 9,000 residents in 13 community countries, including Spain, who identify as Muslims.

“For more than 15 years, FRA research and data shows that Muslims in the EU face discrimination, harassment and violence when looking for work or housing, when they are at work or when trying to access public or private services. “says this agency, based in Vienna.

The survey was completed in October 2022.

Race and religion

The FRA study gives great importance to race as a source of discrimination and indicates that 47% of respondents experienced this type of situation, nine points more than in 2016.

Taking into account all the causes of rejection (ethnicity, religion, skin color, age, gender or disability) 50% of the participants in this study report having felt discrimination.

However, the data vary greatly from country to country and depending on the geographical origin of the respondents.

Thus, heThe prevalence of discrimination ranges from 80% of sub-Saharan Muslims in Austria to 73% of Turks in Germanypassing through 67% of Syrians in Denmark, to 29% of North Africans in Spain or Italy.

In general, Austria and Germany are the countries where Muslims feel most discriminated against, and Spain and Sweden the least.

Muslims born in the EU

The FRA warns that even Muslims already born in the European Union, descendants of immigrants, face this discrimination. For example, more than half of them say they have felt racially discriminated against when looking for work.

When asked about the reason for discrimination, ethnic origin or the fact of being an immigrant is the most mentioned (39%), even ahead of the religious element (25%) or skin color (12%). This last cause is the main reason for discrimination referred to by Muslims of sub-Saharan origin.

Los musulmanes que viven en la UE aseguran sufrir esa discriminación en todos los ámbitos de la vida, desde la búsqueda de empleo al acceso a la vivienda o el acoso en la escuela.

En este sentido, el 16% de los musulmanes con hijos escolarizados aseguran que sufren acoso en los centros educativos debido a su origen étnico o a ser inmigrantes o descendientes de inmigrantes.

Respecto al empleo, la FRA señala que las mujeres musulmanas que visten prendas como el pañuelo islámico, el hiyab o el niqab tienen menos probabilidades de estar empleadas que las que no lo hacen (46% y 61% respectivamente).

Aunque el estudio no se para a analizar el origen de los sentimientos antimusulmanes, la FRA menciona como factores los conflictos en Oriente Próximo, pese a que el informe se había cerrado antes de la actual escalada en la región; y la retórica anti inmigración en el debate político.

“Hasta cierto punto, las políticas antiinmigración de derechas se han normalizado y se han convertido en parte del discurso político”, señala a Efe Vida Beresneviciute, una de las autoras del informe.

Beresneviciute señala que hay un discurso general que culpa a ciertos grupos y que aunque el informe no establece un vínculo directo entre el ambiente político y los niveles de discriminación, en algunos países esa relación es más evidente que en otros.

Así, por ejemplo, recuerda que Alemania y Austria, donde partidos de ultraderecha han tenido buenos resultados electorales últimamente con un discurso antiinmigración, son también los países donde los musulmanes declaran sentirse muy discriminados.