RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

The following is taken from various sections of “Racism and Xenophobia in the EU Member States trends, developments and good practice Annual Report 2005” produced by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC). To view the full report go to http://eumc.eu.int/eumc/material/pub/ar05/AR05_p2_EN.pdf



Racist activity and the influence of the far right

The RAXEN reports reflect a growing concern over racist activity, influenced by
the far right. This activity appears to focus predominantly on three groups, namely
Jews, Muslims and the collective group of ‘Roma, Sinti, Gypsies and Travellers’.
For example, NGOs in Ireland reported an apparent increase in racist incidents
around the same time as the country’s citizenship referendum.75 In Hungary a
Budapest Court banned the Blood and Honour Cultural Organisation, a well-known
and active neo-Nazi organisation, on the basis of a petition by the National Security
Service that the organisation was pursuing anti-constitutional aims.76 In Belgium
there was legal action concerning the issue of Holocaust denial, where three rightwing organisations had cases taken against them.77 For the first time a Belgian
Court used art.8 of the anti-discrimination law in relation to race hate crimes, in a
case involving an attack and wounding of a Belgian national of Indian origin. In
France the Cour de cassation78 held for the first time that the use of racist insults
provided grounds for the dismissal of a worker.79 In Germany, for the first time, an
extreme right-wing music group was convicted of forming a criminal association.
In Greece there have been criminal proceedings related to antisemitic and racist
texts.80 The Estonian NFP also reports that the Estonian security police monitored
the activities of a Russian ultra-nationalist group, Russian National Unity (RNE),
and that Tallinn City Court, in 2002, charged members of this group with
incitement to national and political hatred.81

71 Finland /Helsingin käräjäoikeus (24.11.2003), 03/11651.
72 TGI de Paris 17e chambre correctionnelle 16 janvier 2004, Fatimata N’Diaye c/ Odette X
(source : Le Parisien « La propriétaire condamnée pour discrimination » 17/01/2004).
73 CEPS-INSTEAD, National Report Luxembourg, 2004, p.41.
74 Ordinansa del Tribunale di Genova, 19 luglio 2004, available at: http://www.diarioprevenzione.
net/diarioprevenzione/html//modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=331
75 NCCRI Press Release, Interim figures reveals upward rise in racist incidents May-August 2004,
available at: http://www.nccri.ie/pressSep04.html
76 CMRS, National Report Hungary, 2004, p.54.
77 CEOOR, National Report Belgium, 2004, p.19
78 The highest court in the French judicial system.
79 Cour de Cassation Chambre sociale 02/06/2004 Ste Pavillon Montsouris c/X no 02-44904 et X c/
Ste Spot image no 02-45269 (PUBFR 1974)
80 Sitaropoulos N. (2003), Executive summary on race equality directive. State of play in Greece
81 LICHR, National Report Estonia, 2004, reference to report at:
www.kapo.ee/aastaraamat_2002.pdf.

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Racism and discrimination in the employment sector and initiatives on how to prevent it

The employment sections of the 25 national reports for 2004 on which this chapter
is based demonstrate clearly the continued presence of widespread racist and
xenophobic discrimination in European labour markets. The chapter sets out how
discriminatory acts and contexts of disadvantage are measured, presents some
examples of the specific forms of employment discrimination that are experienced,
describes the social groups most vulnerable to racism and discrimination in
Europe’s labour markets, and finally gives examples of some of the positive ways
in which governments, social partners and voluntary organisations are attempting
to combat such discrimination.



Europe’s vulnerable groups

The map of Europe’s vulnerable minorities varies slightly from one country to
another. Yet there is a consistency about the national and ethnic origins of those
who experience the most discrimination. Far ahead in their structurally reinforced
exclusion are the Roma and Travellers. For them labour market exclusion is the
norm, and in some of the new Member States where there are relatively few non-
nationals or other national minority groups present, the discrimination against them
is virtually the only form of racist treatment that is reported.

The national reports of 2004 confirm a dramatic picture of marginalisation of the
Roma from labour markets in the new Member States of the 2004 enlargement. In
the Czech Republic, it was mostly Roma who became unemployed at the start of
the transition process since they were the least educated and in the most basic jobs
that tended to disappear first. Unemployment among the Czech Roma is estimated
at around 70-80 per cent.145 In early 2004 Slovakia’s liberal tax and social reforms,
which severely reduced social benefits, sparked serious social unrest and outbreaks
of violence among the Roma population.146 In Poland it is reported there are whole
regions where the unemployment rate of the Roma population nears 100 per cent,
and only occasional Roma individuals have work.147 In Hungary, data from a 2003
representative survey show the same labour market participation rate for Roma in
2003 as in 1993, at just 21 per cent for both men and women (compared to 50 per
cent for the whole population). It is not surprising to find then, that more than 80
per cent of Hungary’s Roma households are located in the lowest two income
deciles.148 The picture is in general one of little or no work, with heavy
discrimination in recruitment, and where jobs do exist they are very low paid.
In the rest of Europe, while the specificities vary according to the detailed
historical trajectory of migration, there is a broad pattern. The least level of
integration into normal national labour markets tends to be experienced by those of
Arab nationality or appearance, those with the darkest skins, and by recent
migrants from Eastern Europe, followed by those from the Indian sub-continent
and parts of Asia. Some of the national reports provide specific rankings. For
Germany, the national report reveals a hierarchy of unemployment levels, with the
highest level amongst those from Turkey, followed by those from Italy and
Greece.149 In Sweden the two highest rates of unemployment are experienced by
those from Iraq and Africa,150 and in Italy it is reported that most industrial injuries are experienced by those from Morocco, Albania and Tunisia.151

141 De Volkskrant (21.05.2004), p. 8
142 DACORD, National Report Denmark, 2004, p.10.
143 2000/43/EC, (29.06.2000), Council Directive
144 Jasinskaja-Lahti. I., Liebkind, K. & Vesala, T. (2002), Rasismi ja syrjintä Suomessa.
Maahanmuuttajien kokemuksia. [Racism and Discrimination in Finland. Experiences of
Immigrants]. Helsinki: Gaudeamus.
European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia – Annual Report – 2005 – Part II
45

145 See report „Great Britain and the CR: a twinning project support for racial ethnic equality“,
available at http://www.diskriminace.cz/dp-bydleni/twinning.phtml (12.11.2004)
146 NFP Slovakia, National Report Slovakia, 2004, p.1.
147 HFHR, National Report Poland, 2004, p.10.
148 Janky, B (2004), “A cigányok jövedelmi helyzete”, in: Kolosi,T - Toth I. Gy - Vukovics,Gy (eds)
Társadalmi Riport, Budapest: TÁRKI
149 Vgl. Statistisches Bundesamt 2004a (text part / chapter 7)
150 Sweden, Statistics Sweden (2003), Labour Force Surveys (AKU), statistics from the second half
year 2003.
151 INAIL (2004), Dati provvisori aggiornamento febbraio 2004.
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Racism and discrimination in the housing sector and initiatives on how to prevent it

This chapter looks first at the type of data and information available on
discrimination in housing, and then looks at evidence of direct and indirect
discrimination and the ways that these are manifested. It considers problems of
access to housing, inappropriate housing and segregation, and finally sets out
examples of good practice and preventive initiatives against discrimination.


Social groups most vulnerable to racism and discrimination IN HOUSING

Across the 25 EU Member States, minority groups, migrants, refugees and asylum
seekers are the groups most likely to be affected by discrimination in the sector of
housing. The Roma can be identified as the most vulnerable ethnic minority group
in many states of the EU. Generally, the housing situation of the Roma appears
acutely problematic in access to housing, and regarding housing conditions and
segregation. Roma are mentioned as the group most likely to suffer from
discrimination in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland,
Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland, and to a smaller extent in Greece, Spain,
Cyprus, Portugal and Sweden. In Ireland the Traveller community is exposed to
discrimination in the housing sector, and in some states, such as Finland and
Poland, citizens from the former Soviet Union and Russian speaking minorities
can suffer disparities in housing conditions. In Cyprus, the Turkish-Cypriot
minority is reported to be in a less favorable position.263
With regard to migrants, in Belgium it is Moroccans, Turks and people from sub-
Saharan Africa who are more likely to be exposed to discrimination, whilst in
Germany, it is asylum seekers, “Spätaussiedler”264 and Turkish people. As for
Greece, regular immigrants in theory enjoy equal treatment with Greek citizens as
far as their formal access to social security rights, goes. However, immigrants of
Greek ethnic origin, the “repatriated” immigrants from ex-USSR countries, enjoy
preferential treatment in comparison to other immigrant social groups with regard
to low- or free-interest loans, or special housing programmes. (However, there is
an exception within this category, between the “repatriated” and those from
Albania, as the latter are not entitled to the favourable provisions and special
policies.) In Spain, Maghrebians, Asians and black migrants are the most
vulnerable groups. In Ireland asylum seekers are reported as facing discrimination
and in Luxembourg black people represent the most vulnerable group. As for
Austria, migrants from sub-Saharan Africa (especially Nigerians), from Eastern
Europe, former Yugoslavia and Turkey are reported as most vulnerable to
discrimination.

Particularly worthy of attention in this context are the so-called “erased” in
Slovenia. The “erased” is a popular name for a group of over 18,000 persons,
registered as citizens of one of the other former-Yugoslav republics, whose data
were erased from the register of permanent residents in 1992 without the required
administrative procedure. As a result, they lost their permanent residence permits
and associated rights and benefits, and were consequently denied the right to buy
the apartments in which they were living,265 and to buy and sell property in general.

258 Lombardia / Regional Regulations no.0001, (03.02.2004), Annex no. 1, p.11; COSPE, National
Report Italy, 2004, p.36.
259 Andersson, R and I. Molina (2003) “Racialization and Migration in Urban Segregation
Processes. Key issues for critical geographers” in Öhman, Jan & Simonsen, Kirsten (eds.) Voices
from the North - New Trends in Nordic Human Geography, Ashgate.
260 Weijers, Y.M.R. et al. (2002) De kleur van beleid, De invloed van het grotestedenbeleid op de
sociaal-economische postie en de leefomgeving van etnische minderheden, Rotterdam: Institute
for Sociological-Economic Research (ISEO), p.6.
261 Chignier Riboulon F. dir, Belmessous F. et H., Chebbah-Malicet L., Les discriminations quant à
l’accès au logement locatif privé des catégories sociales étrangères ou perçues comme
étrangères: une étude à partir des quartiers Lyonnais et Parisiens, Laboratoire de recherche
CERAMAC Université Blaise Pascal de Clermont Ferrand, 2003, p.155.
262 Ausländer in Deutschland (AiD)/Integration in Deutschland, Aktueller Informationsdienst zu
Fragen der Migration und Integrationsarbeit, Saarbrücken: Isoplan, Vol. 19, No. 2003/2.
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Racism and discrimination in the education sector and
initiatives on how to prevent it

This chapter examines the indicators for, and the available information on, racism
and discrimination in the education sphere, and the social groups most affected. It
selects several themes of particular interest, including the issue of segregation,
especially regarding the Roma, the issues of religious symbols and faith schools,
and examples of good practice against discrimination and segregation, along with
positive initiatives for awareness-raising.

Vulnerable social groups in education

As in previous years, data on the educational attainment of migrants and ethnic
minorities indicates an overrepresentation of several ethnic minority groups in
schools with lower academic demands and lower school leaving credentials. In
many EU Member States, the Roma/Sinti/Gypsies/Travellers group constitutes the
most vulnerable group in education. The national reports show the Roma’s general
low educational attainment, high levels of illiteracy, school segregation, and
exclusion from education. Reports on non-migrant minority groups in the EU
Member States highlight a disadvantaged situation and underachievement in
education for other groups, such as Travellers in Ireland or the Muslim minority in
Greece. Since the Baltic States restored their statehood after the collapse of the
Soviet Union in 1991, policy changes in education have produced a more difficult
situation for the Russian minority in Estonia and Latvia.

Children of migrants, such as those from the former Yugoslavia (e.g. Austria,
Germany, Luxembourg), and Turkey (e.g. Austria, Germany), but also migrants of
EU Member States (e.g. Italians in Germany, or Portuguese in Luxembourg), are
less likely to reach higher educational levels in these respective countries. The
same applies to pupils of mixed White and Black-Caribbean heritage and
Bangladeshi and Pakistani pupils in the United Kingdom. The disadvantaged
position in education of pupils with a migrant background can also be seen in the
results of the OECD PISA study 2003,309 published in December 2004. In general,
this holds true even for those students whose parents are foreign born but who
themselves have grown up in the reception country and have spent their entire
school career there. Furthermore, in many countries, asylum seekers, refugees, and
undocumented immigrants are affected by discrimination and disadvantages in
education.

306 Braiden, G. (2004) Rise in racist incidents at city schools. The eveningtimesonline, available at
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5025711.html (12.10.2004).
307 This is Plymouth (25.08.2004) School Race Incident Rate, available at
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=133464&
command=displayContent&sourceNode=133158&contentPK=10829300 (12.10.2004).
308 Education Commission, London Development Agency (2004) The educational experiences and
achievements of Black boys in London schools 2000 – 2003, p. 7 London: Education
Commission, available at
http://www.lda.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.568, (12.10.2004).
309 http://www.pisa.oecd.org/ (20.2.2005).