European countries are become less tolerant toward immigrants and minorities because of economic troubles, the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance’s annual report concluded.

“Xenophobic discourse has been mainstreamed during the past decade, gaining increasing social acceptance,” warned the report, published May 3.

“Immigrants and some historical minorities are perceived as a burden to society,” it said. “Racism and intolerance are on the rise in Europe today, and the resulting tension sometimes leads to racist violence.”

This hatred, the report said, is transforming Europe’s politics. “In several countries, the tone of the political debate is set by the growing number of parties which share the same rhetoric: Immigration is equated with insecurity; irregular migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees either ‘steal jobs’ or risk ‘capsizing our welfare system,’ while Muslims ‘are not able to integrate in Western societies,’” it read. “The latter have recently become the most prominent ‘other’ in the xenophobic debate throughout Europe.”

“Xenophobic parties have obtained more support in recent elections and gained seats in government coalitions and/or the parliaments of several European countries,” the report continued. “They now have a share in political power in these countries, directly or indirectly, locally or nationally, alone or in coalitions.”

Europe has long pandered to minorities, compromising freedom of speech and expression in order to appease its large numbers of immigrants. But this is changing. As Europe’s economy worsens, it will swing violently to the other extreme. Europe’s economy will get worse before it gets better, and the continent’s ethnic and religious minorities will be lumped with the blame.