Racism and xenophobia
01 January 1991
Racism and xenophobia
bacdoc March=1992
[On 9 October 1991 the European Parliament debated the report on
racism and xenophobia]
Opening the debate, Claudia Roth (G, Greens) recalled the violent
attacks on immigrants and asylum seekers in Germany, which she
attributed to neo-fascist gangs. She then pointed her finger
towards the opposite side of the Chamber and publicly accused the
European Right of fermenting trouble, a charge rebuffed by Harold
Neubauer (G, ER).
Glyn Ford (Manchester East, Soc), the author of the report
produced by the special committee of inquiry into racism
expressed his worry and concern at the worsening situation since
the recommendations were produced. Action was needed now, he
said, and the 12 - 14 million third country nationals living in
the Community must not be treated like second class citizens.
To set up a European Migrants Forum was just not enough, he said,
calling for democratic accountability for the inter-governmental
decisions being taken on asylum and immigration under the
Schengen and Trevi arrangements.
At a Community level, he looked towards the implementation of the
Social Charter as a means of helping immigrants who, he recalled,
have in the past contributed so much towards Europe's cultural
and economic development.
Speaking for the European Right Jean-Marie Le Chevalier (F), on
the other hand, opposed to the recommendations of the inquiry
committee, called for a referendum on immigration. He welcomed
Valery Giscard d'Estaing's (F, LDR) recent statements, referring
to the 200,000 applications for French nationality since 1985 and
what he termed even more clandestine immigrants in search of a
better life and social benefits.
His remarks prompted Dacia Valent (I, EUL), a black member, to
express her disgust at his speech and appeal for Europe's
citizens to resist the new tide of racism. She too, was very
worried about what she felt was an explosive situation and looked
for a political response to stamp out discrimination.
Jean-Thomas Nordmann (F, LDR) warned against a resurgence of
chauvinism or nationalism in the wake of events in Central and
Eastern Europe over the past year and looked to Germany to defend
its liberal asylum laws. The only way to diffuse the situation
was to welcome immigrants and refugees with positive integration
policies and providing jobs and housing.
Lord Inglewood (Cumbria and Lancashire North, ED) felt there were
serious legal problems over competence in this area and he
thought a better way of trying to improve race relations was by
focusing on the actual problems rather than setting up
sub-committees. Parliament, he feared, was degenerating into
what he described as 'gesture politics'.
A lot could be learned from the UK experience where a sound legal
basis for race relations, together with the work of the
Commission for Racial Equality had been effective, said Lord
Inglewood. The aim must be to create a fair and just society
where all individuals have equal rights and responsibilities, he
added.
Djida Tazdait (F, Greens) took President Delors and the
Commission to task for doing nothing to combat racism, an
allegation immediately rebutted by Mr Delors. Jose Barros Moura
(P, LU) was another member to support proper economic development
in third countries as a way of stemming migration.
Michael Elliott (London West, Soc) said it was essential for
Parliament to condemn recent outbreaks of racism, adding that it
was regrettable that prominent politicians in Europe were
suggesting that ethnic minorities in the EC could create social
problems. This only had the effect of encouraging acts of
violence, felt Mr Elliott. He welcomed the positive nature of
Lord Inglewood's comments on the subject and added, since Europe
had grown rich on the exploitation of the developing world, it
must assist and not condemn it.
Replying to the debate both Piet Dankert for Council and