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Latest update: 13/08/2010
- France - racism - United Nations
UN body calls attention to growing problem of racism in France
The UN's anti-discrimination watchdog has issued a 90-page report on racism in France, warning that a lack of political will is responsible for the "notable resurgence in racism and xenophobia" in the country.
By News Wires (text)
AFP - France is experiencing "a significant resurgence of racism" and lacked the political will to fix the problem, experts from the UN's anti-discrimination watchdog said Wednesday.
The criticism came as a panel of 18 experts from the UN's Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination presented a 90-page report on racism in France, the first since 2005.
After the session, the French delegation unexpectedly announced the preparation of a national action plan against racism.
Despite numerous legal instruments, France was facing "a notable resurgence in racism and xenophobia", Togolese expert Ewomsan Kokou said.
According to US inspector Pierre-Richard Prosper, the resurgence was due to "the absence of true political will".
The debate covered treatment of traveller communities and the Roma, the debate on national identity, the non-recognition of the rights of minorities and the hardening of political discourse.
The situation of travelling communities and immigrants is a hot-button issue in France, following a threatened crackdown by President Nicolas Sarkozy in the wake of recent violence.
Sarkozy's threat to strip foreign-born nationals of French citizenship if they committed crimes came in for particular criticism.
"I don't know what a 'French person of foreign origin' is," said Gun Kut, a Turkish inspector. "I ask if this is compatible with the constitution."
The panel would wait for responses from the French delegation in a session Thursday before drawing up their recommendations.
"France has been placed on the grill," said Malik Salemkour, from the League of Human Rights.
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Comments (5)
Paradox
Is it xenophobia or culture clash? Or is about immigrants, in France, asking for French culture to adapt to theirs?
Someone from Togo or Turkey said so! That’s quite a paradox.
racism
How is it racist to speak the truth and to enforce laws already in place? The traveller camps were illegal, they should not be allowed to continue. If others lived there, they would still be illegal and should be removed. When Sarkozy said problems resulted from them and called the young people who come from there and behave as hoodlums hoodlums, he only spoke the truth. How is that racist? Or is this casting France and Sarkozy as racist just political posturing for some unknown gain? hm. Something to think about.
U.N. " experts " aka P.C. Police
What are the French to do? March like lemmings into the sea and leave the country to everyone else?
Why is no one up in arms over the Asian countries that strictly limit their immigration from Non Asian ethnic groups.
I have not heard of African or Arab neighborhoods in Tokyo or Beijing.
Douce France eeee le pays de
Douce France eeee le pays de mon enfance eeeeee!
Racism and violence in France
Are French people of foreign origin really part of the problem of violence in France? What about statistics? Do statistics about the clashes between police and French citizens demonstrate that the perpetrators of violence are French of foreign origin or not? In other countries like the USA there is no hesitation. If someone who is American of foreign origin misbehaves by attacking the police he/she is sent back to his/her original country or imprisoned for some time at least. I think that France is a generous country accepting many from other countries but these people have to respect the rules of France. Racism develops only when a group of established people in a country realize that the newcomers are shaking the boat too much and threaten to create imbalance and anarchy in the original culture, mores and rules.
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