Racism on the rise in Italy, says a report to parliament

Eastern Europeans hit hardest

Racism is on the rise in Italy, especially in the media and on the Internet, said a report by the National Office against Racial Discrimination (UNAR) presented to Parliament on Thursday.

One out of four victims of racially-motivated discrimination in Italy comes from Eastern European countries and the Balkans, the report said. North Africans are the targets of 16.6% of discriminatory acts and Latin Americans 13.8%, it said.

In February, a Council of Europe report on racism and xenophobia said that the situation in Italy has worsened over the last five years and criticised the country for fostering a climate of “intolerance,” especially regarding Roma (Gypsies), immigrants and Muslims.

Italian soccer has also been dogged by racism in recent years.

See more on this Topic