Excerpt:
Xenophobic and anti-Muslim arguments are no longer confined to the fringes of society and are now embraced by mainstream politicians, Europe's leading anti-racist body warns today.
The annual report of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), an organisation which monitors the main trends in racism, discrimination, xenophobia and anti-semitism in each of the Council of Europe's 47 member States, declares: "Legal means alone do not seem sufficient to counter this trend. More needs to be done."
ECRI's Chair, Nils Muiznieks, said: "ECRI's investigations in all European countries are showing a worrying pattern of rising racism. Governments need to be aware of the threat, work to strengthen laws and institutions against discrimination and give a clear message that xenophobia can never be tolerated in modern society."