Racism, discrimination by authorities a serious problem in Germany, study says

Racism by authorities is a serious problem in Germany, and many people continue to witness racist behavior in their daily life, a new study revealed 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," Prof. Naika Foroutan, director of the institute, told a news conference in Berlin.

She 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 the 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.

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.