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Report finds migrants face violence and harassment in EU states

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Report finds migrants face violence and harassment in EU states

Migrants in EU member states face arson attacks, violence, murder and everyday harassment, according to the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA).

The agency’s latest monthly report on hate crime examines migration-related fundamental rights in Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.

The report identifies significant under-reporting of hate crimes due to asylum seekers and migrants lacking trust in police and public authorities; fearing arrest, deportation or retaliation; believing nothing will change; and facing language barriers.

Its other main findings include:

  • Most Member States do not collect or publish statistical data on hate crime incidents against asylum seekers and migrants; civil society often are the main sources of information.

  • Vigilantes and the general public are often behind the attacks.

  • Offline and online hate speech, including by public figures who sometimes even condone attacks, is fuelling open intolerance.

  • This intolerance is spilling over to other parts of society with Muslims, especially women, and people from ethnic backgrounds, particularly targeted.

  • State responses to hate crime against asylum seekers and migrants are perceived as weak by civil society in many Member States.

  • Victim support services that meet the needs of asylum seekers and migrants are rare. Asylum seekers and migrants also have limited access to existing support.

    • The agency has warned that member states lack the robust data they need to prevent hate crime, and protect and promote the rights of migrants and asylum seekers in Europe.

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