The Council of Europe has warned that a climate of xenophobia an racism is on the rise in Europe.Eva Smith-Asmussen, the Danish head of the Council of Europe’s Commission against Racism and Intolerance, told reporters last week, “If anything is threatening our peace and security in Europe, it’s discrimination.” Smith-Asmussen made her comments upon issuing the commission’s 2006 report, which has shows increasing hostility in Europe towards Muslims as well as a continued climate of anti-Semitism. ECRI found that “the overall picture as regards contemporary forms of racism and racial discrimination is complex and worrying.” Foreign migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are the most affected by the rise in intolerance and racism, Smith-Asmussen noted.
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