Muslims in Europe are facing an alarming increase in racism, partially driven by “dehumanizing anti-Muslim rhetoric,” according to the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). In a recent survey involving 9,600 Muslim participants from 13 EU member states, nearly half reported experiencing discrimination in their daily lives.
“Racism and discrimination are pervasive in many facets of our lives,” highlighted Sirpa Rautio, the agency’s director. “The issues become even more pronounced against the backdrop of Middle Eastern conflicts and the dehumanizing language we see across Europe.”
The survey, published shortly after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, indicates that the already troubling climate has deteriorated further since the outbreak of violence. Although the survey data was gathered prior to these events, reports from civil society and national authorities indicate a rise in anti-Muslim incidents post-conflict.
Beresnevičiūtė, a co-author of the study, noted that 47% of Muslim respondents reported experiencing racism in the five years leading up to 2022, a noticeable increase from 39% in 2016. “The situation for Muslims is worsening,” she explained. “Living as a Muslim in the EU is becoming increasingly complicated.”
The surge in reported discrimination is seen to correlate with the rise of far-right political movements. In Austria, daily experiences of racism among Muslims reached a staggering 71%, coinciding with the Freedom Party’s recent electoral success. Germany reports a similar trend, with 68% of Muslims citing discrimination.
The survey revealed that 39% of Muslims encountered bias in the job market, and 41% were found to be working in positions for which they were overqualified. Discriminatory barriers also hindered housing access, with 35% of participants facing challenges in securing homes, a rise from 22% in 2016.
The repercussions of this discrimination are significant, resulting in elevated poverty levels and overcrowded living conditions for Muslims, who were found to be 2.5 times more likely to be on temporary job contracts. Alarmingly, Muslim respondents were three times more likely to drop out of school compared to their non-Muslim peers across the EU.
Particularly distressing were the experiences of young Muslims; over half (55%) of Muslims born in Europe reported feeling racially discriminated against while seeking employment in the past five years. This indicates a failure to be treated equitably, despite similar language skills and qualifications.
Beresnevičiūtė expressed her dismay, noting that many Muslims experienced “overlapping” discrimination related to their religion, skin color, and immigrant background. Women wearing religious attire, like headscarves, reported even higher rates of workplace discrimination, particularly among those aged 16 to 24, where incidents spiked to 58%.
Despite these experiences, only 6% felt it worthwhile to report their incidents of discrimination. In light of the findings, the FRA has urged EU member states to enforce stricter sanctions against hate crimes and discrimination and to collect data on ethnic and racial diversity, contrasting with the UK’s more comprehensive approach.
This survey follows an earlier report documenting discrimination against nearly half of Black respondents across the EU and a July study where almost all Jewish participants reported recent antisemitism. Collectively, these findings underscore the persistent nature of racism and racial discrimination within the EU, as Beresnevičiūtė emphasized, “Without targeted efforts, these issues will not simply go away.”
