Poll finds racial prejudice growing

RACIST and xenophobic prejudices are becoming more prevalent in France, a new study has warned.

The poll commissioned by SOS Racisme and the Union of Jewish Students in France found almost half of those questioned agreeing with the statement that "foreign people know how to get more out of the social security system than others".

More than a quarter of respondents said Arabs were more likely to commit crimes than others - double the number who agreed with the same statement when similar research was carried out last year.

A similar percentage said Jews had more influence on the media and finance industries than other groups.

SOS Racisme president Dominique Sopo said recent debates on national identity and the burqa had fuelled racist sentiment among the French.

The research was based on a representative sample of 1,029 people aged 15 and above.
Some 4% of people questioned admitted that they considered themselves to be homophobic - down from 8% last year.