Muslims across Europe are facing a “worrying surge” in racism, fueled in part by “dehumanising anti-Muslim rhetoric,” according to a survey released by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). The survey, which involved 9,600 Muslim respondents from 13 EU member states, found that nearly half reported experiencing discrimination recently.
Published on Thursday, the survey reveals that racism and discrimination permeate many aspects of life for Muslims in Europe. Respondents reported incidents of bullying in schools, unequal job opportunities, and prejudice in housing.
Although the survey was completed before the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, which led to violent reprisals in Gaza, the FRA noted that reports from civil society and national authorities indicate a rise in anti-Muslim incidents since the outbreak of conflict.
Sirpa Rautio, the FRA’s director, stated, “We are witnessing a worrying surge in racism and discrimination against Muslims in Europe,” exacerbated by conflicts in the Middle East and the anti-Muslim rhetoric prevalent across the continent.
Following the October attacks, authorities rushed to address rising hate crimes against both Muslim and Jewish communities, including an attempted arson at a synagogue in Berlin and threatening letters sent to Muslim organizations in France.
The survey results indicate that 47% of Muslims reported experiencing racism in the five years leading up to 2022, a notable increase from 39% in 2016. Vida Beresnevičiūtė, a co-author of the survey, remarked, “The situation of Muslims is getting worse. It’s getting more complicated to live as a Muslim in the EU.”
The survey also highlights a correlation between reported discrimination and the rise of far-right movements. For example, in Austria, where the anti-immigration Freedom Party (FPÖ) recently gained prominence, 71% of Muslims reported experiencing racism. In Germany, where the anti-immigration Alternative für Deutschland has been gaining support, the figure was 68%.
Across the 13 member states surveyed, 39% of Muslims reported discrimination in the job market, with 41% working in positions for which they were overqualified. A third of respondents (35%) said they faced barriers in buying or renting homes due to discrimination, a significant increase from 22% in 2016.
The long-term consequences of this racism are profound. Muslims are more likely to experience poverty, overcrowded housing, and temporary job contracts, and they are three times more likely to leave school early compared to the general population in the EU. Notably, over half of Muslims born in Europe (55%) reported experiencing racial discrimination while seeking work in the past five years, despite having equivalent language skills and qualifications.
Women wearing religious attire, such as headscarves, also reported higher rates of discrimination in the job market, with 58% of women aged 16 to 24 experiencing such bias. However, only 6% of respondents reported their experiences of discrimination, indicating a lack of faith in the reporting system.
The FRA urged EU member states to enforce stricter sanctions for discrimination and hate crimes, as well as to collect data on ethnic and racial diversity to inform policy and track progress. Unlike the UK, most EU countries do not gather census data on racial or ethnic backgrounds.
This survey follows previous reports indicating that nearly half of Black individuals in the EU reported discrimination and that almost all Jewish respondents experienced antisemitism. Together, these findings highlight that “racism and racial discrimination is a persistent phenomenon throughout the EU that requires urgent attention,” Beresnevičiūtė concluded.