Promising Practice

Survey on Experiences of Racism and Ethno-racial Discrimination in Luxembourg

In 2021, the Integration Department of the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region (MIFA), in collaboration with the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) and the Centre d’étude et de formation interculturelles et sociales (CEFIS), surveyed a representative sample of the resident population for an in-depth analysis of racism and ethno-racial discrimination experiences. The survey’s design included, inter alia, the option for respondents to self-identify and measures to reach out to respondents from under-represented and hard-to-reach groups.
Country
Luxembourg
Type
Institutional and structural guidelines
Facilitate effective use
Operational guidelines
Ensure comprehensiveness
Mainstream equality data
Enhance validity and reliability
Ensure representativeness
Collect information on self-identification
Improve comparability
Category
Age
Gender identity or expression
Racial or ethnic origin
Religion or belief
Sex
Includes multiple / intersectional discrimination

 


In this page:


Why was the practice needed?

In 2020, the Chamber of Deputies asked the government to carry out this study with a view to developing a coherent strategy against racism and discrimination, based on first-hand empirical data.

The practice is needed for the following purposes:

  • reviewing the current state of counter-racism and discrimination instruments, and identifying potential specific needs regarding diversity management;
  • identifying potential at-risk groups;
  • developing a methodology to ensure representation;
  • raising awareness and providing information on the general population;
  • providing recommendations for policy direction to promote anti-discrimination practices and to combat racism.

How was it implemented?

The quantitative survey questionnaire measured the attitudes/perceptions of the national population and its so-called minority groups in relation to (i) racism and stereotypes, (ii) immigration, (iii) the extent of ethno-racial discrimination experiences as a witness or as a victim, (iv) the places where such discrimination is addressed and (v) the public policies concerned.

A stratified random sample of 15,000 residents aged 18 years and over was drawn to capture sufficiently the large numbers of native-born people and sub-populations who are most at risk of discrimination and racism. At the end of the survey, LISER collected about 3,000 completed questionnaires, and calculated statistical weights to extrapolate the results to the entire resident population aged 18+ and to some sub-populations of interest. The data from the survey allowed for the measurement of perceptions of the population and the identification of statistically significant differences between sub-populations.

Outputs

  • Website of the practice
  • Presentation of the results to the cabinet by the Minister for Family Affairs and Integration
  • Presentation of the results to the Family Committee of the Chamber of Deputies
  • Diversity and anti-discrimination training for municipal staff (trainees)
  • Selection of specific civil society projects in the framework of the national action plan on integration
  • Organising of a series of public meetings on the topic of racism and discrimination
  • Additional qualitative research module on victims, and their experiences and strategies

Key success factors

  • Political willingness
  • Commitment of the Chamber of Deputies
  • Collaboration between administrations and researchers
  • MIFA’s coordination  Interdisciplinary team
  • Mixed methods: cognitive interviews to test the questionnaire
  • Microdata Platform on Labour and Social Protection (stratified sampling)
  • Data protection impact assessment
  • Online survey

Technical information

  • Data sources covered: Administrative data; Household or individual surveys; Victimisation surveys; Qualitative research; Hate crime
  • Areas of life covered: Employment; Education; Health; Social Protection; Housing and living conditions; Access to goods and services
  • Target audience: General population, migrants and descendants of migrants, natives
  • Duration: January–December 2021
  • Geographical scope: National
  • Leading institution: Integration Department, MIFA
  • Other organisations involved/consulted: LISER; CEFIS; Association de Soutien aux Travailleurs Immigrés (ASTI), consulted; Inspection générale de la sécurité sociale (IGSS); Centre des technologies de l’information de l’Etat (CTIE)
  • Financial & human resources: Budget: About €100,000; Source of the budget: MIFA Integration Department budget; Staff: LISER, CEFIS, MIFA, IGSS, CTIE; Development: Additional qualitative research module on victims, and their experiences and strategies

Contacts

pierre.weiss@integration.etat.lu