A/HRC/4/19/Add.4 page 24 V. ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR 58. After having collected and analysed the views of all parties concerned, the Special Rapporteur concluded that while Italian society is not marked by a serious phenomenon of racism, it is facing a disturbing trend of xenophobia and the development of manifestations of racism, primarily affecting the Sinti and Roma community, immigrants and asylum-seekers primarily of African origin but also from Eastern Europe, and the Muslim community. 59. These dynamics of racism and xenophobia are nourished by the legacy and strong impact on government policies and on public perceptions of the extreme right parties’ racist political platforms. They are also fostered by media that make political use of and legitimize racism and xenophobia by exploiting the profound process of multiculturalism taking place in Italian society and its consequent identity crisis. Italy is still harvesting the consequences of the policies of the former Government coalition which allowed the extreme right-wing parties to implement their agendas and to adopt an anti-immigration discourse and a security approach towards immigration and asylum that is reflected in the Bossi-Fini Law. Nevertheless, the political instrumentalization of racism is not a phenomenon of the past. Extreme right-wing parties continue to promote at the national level and implement at the regional and local levels their xenophobic and racist platforms. Moreover, media, often driven by the post-11 September culture of fear, continue to incite racial and religious hatred under the guises of freedom of expression and the need to combat terrorism. These dynamics of racism and xenophobia are illustrated as well by the increase of racist manifestations and violent acts in football. 60. The xenophobic trend that has been observed is also to some extent a manifestation of the fear resulting from the identity crisis of Italian society and the challenge of multiculturalism, particularly regarding non-European migrants. The Italian national identity, historically constructed to promote the nation State, marked by the legacy of the fascist State and impregnated with ethnic and religious connotations, no longer corresponds to the profoundly multicultural dynamics of modern society. As in most European countries, the emerging multicultural identity is clashing with the established national identity. The racist and xenophobic platforms are thus articulated around the need to “defend the national identity” and “protect the national security”. 61. Xenophobia and discrimination against Sinti, Roma, immigrants and asylum-seekers of non-European origin as well as the Muslim community are manifested in a variety of forms. 62. Firstly, these groups face institutionalized discrimination reflected in legislation and policies affecting or addressing them. For example: • Roma and Sinti, unlike other minorities, have been excluded from past legislation recognizing linguistic minorities, nor were they recognized as a beneficiary group of the National Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion. The legislator has failed as well to address their lack of identity documents and birth registration and the legal consequences of this, allowing the perpetuation of their statelessness. Regarding the migrant Roma community, immigration law has disregarded the double discrimination they face as migrants and Roma in their access to employment, the gateway to legal migration;