On March 1^st, 2009 three principal European human rights organizations issued a common declaration stating that the context of economic crisis aggravates racist and xenophobic behaviour all over Europe. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) expressed their concern about the rise of violence against immigrants, refugees and minority groups in these times of economic crisis. According to the three organizations, prudence and responsibility are required by European political leaders in order to avoid the situation to escalate. European history indeed sadly proves that economic depression can lead to tragic social exclusion, hatred, violence and persecution. Did we really learn our lesson from the past and is Europe's social and human rights protection strong enough to deal with the situation and combat this scapegoating effect? The results of the last European Parliament's elections and the frightening rise of extreme-right and xenophobic parties in countries like the Netherlands and Great Britain does not seem very reassuring... Link to read the press release