RACISM IN GREECE

COUNCIL OF EUROPE FINDS RACISM IN GREECE Minorities in Greece are subjected to racism, discrimination and intolerance by society, despite recent positive developments taken by the State to combat racism. This was the main finding of a 12-page report released by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), the Council of Europe's expert body on combating racism. The report on Greece was among a total of five reports released by the commission examining racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance in countries such as France, Norway, Poland and Slovakia. Although the ECRI recognizes that in all five countries positive developments have occurred since its last visit, the report also details the commission's continuing grounds for concern. In the case of Greece, ECRI notes that "problems of racism, intolerance, discrimination and exclusion affect particularly the Roma/Gypsy population, Albanians and other immigrants, as well as members of the Muslim minority." The commission underlines that "these problems are connected to the generally low level of recognition within Greek society of its multicultural reality, an acknowledgement which is all the more urgent given the new patterns of migration to Greece in recent years." Article by Miron Varouhakis, published in "Kathimerini" English Edition