ABSTRACT
Liz Fekete and Frances Webber indicate how, without exception, in every European state, minorities continue to suffer from extreme forms of prejudice, discrimination and violence. State instruments of protection, where available, are either not effective enough or themselves not free from prejudice and discrimination. Two prominent government approaches towards societal integration are: the ethnic minorities approach and the citizens’ rights approach. The ethnic minorities approach, as an ideal type, provides targeted programmes to meet the special needs and claims of ethnic minority groups. Several French government policies provide good examples of the citizens’ rights theoretical approach at the practical level. Moreover, policy makers have themselves begun to question the foundations of the ethnic minorities approach. In countries of the European Union, the gradual introduction of measures to eliminate the distinction in status between EU nationals living in another member state and long-term third-country nationals residing in the territory.
