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2011
47

Do feelings of discrimination explain the riots in Brussels?
A comparison of Moroccan and Turkish groups in Brussels and Antwerp

Press release

Notes de la rédaction

This is the press release related to the article from Véronique Vandezande, Karen Phalet and Marc Swyngedouw, published March the 7th 2011. Read the article.

The population of Brussels is very diverse. According to estimates, 46% of the entire population has foreign roots, which may be the source of various types of discrimination. Although this phenomenon has been studied widely as regards discriminatory behaviour, this is far from being the case with respect to the feeling of discrimination as experienced by the populations concerned.

This is the task which Marc Swyngedouw (KUL) attempts to accomplish in the 47th issue of Brussels Studies. He presents the results of research focused on a sample of people who live in Brussels and Antwerp, with at least one parent who was born in Turkey or Morocco.

The questionnaire deals with their feelings of discrimination in the public domain, at work, whilst seeking employment, at school, in their contact with the police, etc.

The image emerges of a community of Moroccan origin which experiences more discrimination than those of Turkish origin, and of inhabitants of Antwerp generally experiencing a stronger feeling of discrimination than the inhabitants of Brussels. Furthermore, according to an apparent paradox, the people who are the most integrated are often those who are the most sensitive to discrimination against their community.

In this context, the author cannot find a correlation between the feeling of discrimination and the riots which took place in 2009 and 2010 in Brussels and not in Antwerp. He nevertheless calls for the implementation of actions aimed at allowing populations of foreign origin to feel at home in their city. ‘The riots are only the tip of the iceberg: the underlying problem of feelings of exclusion and discrimination is widespread and merely using efficient repression will not resolve the problem but only serve to make it invisible.’

References
Vandezande, Véronique, Phalet, Karen and Swyngedouw, Marc,Do feelings of discrimination explain the riots in Brussels? A comparison of Moroccan and Turkish groups in Brussels and Antwerp”, Brussels Studies [Online], General collection, No 47, March the 7th 2011. URL: https://journals.openedition.org/brussels/848
Contact
Benjamin Wayens, Senior Editor: bwayens[at]brusselsstudies.be

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