(L-R) Corinne Cahen, Minister for Family and Integration; Jacques Brosius, Economist at MIFA; Credit: MIFA

On Tuesday 8 March 2022, Luxembourg's Minister for Family and Integration, Corinne Cahen, presented the study "Racism and ethno-racial discrimination in Luxembourg" in a press conference in the presence of representatives from the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) and the Center for Intercultural and Social Studies and Training (CEFIS)

"This study is the result of a fruitful collaboration between the Department of Integration of the Ministry for Family, Integration and the Greater Region (MIFA) and researchers from LISER and CEFIS," Minister Cahen emphasised. "I would also particularly like to thank the many people who, in one way or another, shared their experience, their knowledge and their expertise. I would like to express my gratitude and respect to them".

Racism and ethno-racial discrimination exist and cannot be ignored. LISER researchers and CEFIS have produced a report on these two key themes to remedy a lack of data and to be able to put in place effective policies.

Racism and discrimination in a multicultural society

Focusing on the main areas of residents' social life (employment, housing, health, school, education, public administration, etc.), the report reflects the reality of living together and integration in Luxembourg's de facto multicultural society, draws conclusions, proposes concrete ways of improving the situation and provides rich and in-depth material for reflection and action.

On the one hand, the quantitative survey carried out by LISER makes it possible to measure the perceptions of the resident population and its so-called minority groups. On the other hand, the qualitative survey carried out by CEFIS identifies the dominant perceptions of field actors and experts, directly or indirectly related to racism and discrimination in Luxembourg.

The complete study as well as the presentation of the experts are available online at: www.famille.gouvernement.lu.

The origins of the study

Following the publication of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights' report, Being Black in the EU, the Chamber of Deputies adopted a motion in July 2020 inviting the Luxembourg Government to "commission a study on the phenomenon of racism in Luxembourg in order to develop a coherent strategy to combat it".

The Department of Integration of the Ministry of Family, Integration and the Greater Region therefore commissioned the Centre for Intercultural and Social Studies and Training (CEFIS) and the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) to participate in the design of the study, to carry it out and to report on its main results. On the basis of these results, CEFIS and LISER were also asked to formulate policy recommendations in the field of the fight against racism and ethno-racial discrimination.