Europe 1 with AFP 6:53 p.m., July 18, 2022

Tolerance towards minorities seems to be improving in France, according to the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights, which establishes the "tolerance index" at 68% calculated from surveys.

Nevertheless, some groups remain stigmatised, such as the Roma populations.

Various racist prejudices are still widespread.

Tolerance towards minorities is improving in France but certain groups remain "stigmatized", in particular the Roma populations, affirms the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH), in its annual report published on Monday.

"Since 2015, the level of tolerance seems to have continued to increase", underlines Jean-Marie Burgubur, president of this institution, in this report on "the inventory of racism" submitted to the Minister Delegate for Diversity, Isabelle Lonvis -Rome.

"Stigmatizing discourse with racist and xenophobic overtones has not disappeared from the public and media space"

In this document, is published, each year since 2008, a "tolerance index", calculated by Vincent Tiberj, one of the team's researchers, from online and face-to-face surveys carried out by the CNCDH .

This index stood at 68 in 2022 (on a scale up to 100, the maximum level of tolerance), i.e. two points more than in 2019 and 14 more than in 2013. stigmatizing speeches with racist and xenophobic overtones have not disappeared from the public and media space", according to Jean-Marie Burgubur.

From its investigations, the CNCDH notes that racist prejudices die hard, even if some are in decline.

Thus, 38% of French people think that "Islam is a threat to the identity of France" (compared to 44.7% in 2019) or even 45% think that "the Roma live mainly from theft and trafficking" ( 48.2% in 2019).

And 37% say that "Jews have a special relationship with money", up from two years ago (34.1%).

The Commission calls for "a commitment from the government"

The CNCDH makes twelve "priority" recommendations: setting up "compulsory modules in the continuing education of teachers on the fight against racism", adopting a "national action plan on training in digital citizenship", or even better train police and gendarmerie personnel or magistrates in racist litigation.

The Commission also calls for "human and financial resources devoted to the fight against anti-Gypsyism", with a "commitment from the government to change the outlook and practices vis-à-vis the Roma populations".

In particular, it recommends the establishment of a “school break in order to prevent any disruption of schooling linked to expulsion”.

1,330 evictions from informal living spaces took place in 2021.