UPDATE - Racism, discrimination by authorities a serious problem in Germany: Study

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS; EDITS THROUGHOUT

BERLIN (AA) - Racism by authorities is a serious problem in Germany and many people continue to witness racist behavior in their daily life, according to a new study on Thursday.

Of the 5,000 people surveyed in a nationwide representative study, 65% said they believe there is a problem of racial discrimination by state authorities in Germany, according to the study by Berlin-based DeZIM Institute.

“Structural and institutional racism is seen as a problem by many people in the country,” Naika Foroutan, the director of the institute, told a news conference in Berlin.

This concern was raised not only by migrants or minority groups, but also by different segments of the society, according to the study.

Foroutan said many incidents of racism were also reported in employment, housing and education.

“Racism has become an everyday problem in Germany. It affects not only minorities, but the society as a whole, directly or indirectly,” she stressed.

Nearly 45% of respondents said they have witnessed a racist incident at least once in their lifetime, while 22% of the participants said they have directly experienced racism.

The survey found that 50% of respondents agreed with the statement “We live in a racist society.”

Muslims, Jews, people of African or Asian descent, Eastern European migrants, Roma, and Sinti were the communities that often experienced racial discrimination in Germany, the study also showed.

Foroutan called on politicians to take a more active stance against racism and develop long-term policies to address the problem.

“Our study shows that a vast majority of the German population would support this,” she said.