Where Is Discrimination in Europe?

SPECIAL REPORT | MARCH - APRIL 2021 https://eurac.tv/9Sxi

With the support of WHERE IS DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE?

SPECIAL REPORT https://eurac.tv/9Sxi According to available data from the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and other organisations, encroachments on fundamental rights are widespread in European countries.

Furthermore, lack of equalities data across the EU contributes to structural and institutional inequalities, stakeholders say.

The European Commission has promised to pursue better data collection on race and ethnicity to better tackle discrimination.

This Special Report looks into five country-specific cases and debates across Europe. Contents

Unbalanced hate: Lack of data abets geography of discrimination in Europe 4 Expert: Pandemic has exposed anti-Asian hate in France 6

German school system still holds back children of migrants, experts say 8

Rise of nationalist parties threatens to stall progress on race discrimination in Belgium 10

Nordic countries set up Sámi reconciliation commissions to investigate indigenous injustices 12 4 SPECIAL REPORT | WHERE IS DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE? | EURACTIV Unbalanced hate: Lack of data abets geography of discrimination in Europe

By Alexandra Brzozowski | EURACTIV.com

epa08678286 European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli participates in a media conference on the EU anti- racism Action Plan at EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 18 September 2020. EPA-EFE/OLIVIER MATTHYS / POOL

lack of equalities data EURACTIV. policies in Belgium, Portugal, France, across the EU contributes to Germany and Eastern European Astructural and institutional According to ENAR, when looking countries. inequalities, stakeholders say. The at specific forms of racism, there European Commission has promised is an “alarming spike” of cases of A recent report by the Fundamental to pursue better data collection on Islamophobia in France, the UK, Rights Agency (FRA) laid bare the race and ethnicity to better tackle Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands. widespread encroachments to the discrimination. fundamental rights of Romani people And while people of African in Western European countries, “Over the past few years, we descent face systemic discrimination providing the latest evidence of have witnessed the normalization of in terms of access to housing and discrimination against Europe’s the far-right discourse and this has labour market, and are over-policed largest ethnic minority. influenced how the electorate votes and under-protected across the in different countries – this toxic EU, migrants are constant victims “Additionally, the COVID-19 has narrative against racialised minorities of violence and brutality from the had one clear consequence in the lives has also influenced the way policies pushback operations at borders, the of racialised groups: it has exacerbated are made and has banalised abusive NGO stated. existing and historical systemic practices and behaviours at all levels,” inequalities in society, and is having Juliana Santos Wahlgren, Senior At the same time, Roma a particular impact on racialised Advocacy Officer for the European communities are still disproportionally groups,” Wahlgren said. Network Against Racism (ENAR) told affected in housing and education

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According to Wahlgren, the dimensions of racism in Europe and Asked how the Commission plans pandemic has been a “catalyst” of the need to address them through to deal with geographic specificities many pre-existing societal problems, wide-ranging policies,” Wahlgren of racial discrimination, she said particularly violence by law said. “the outcome of this collective work enforcement officers. should enhance concrete national In response to the data gap, action plans by 2022 that tackle “It is very challenging to label the EU executive has also called racism, taking into account all geographic specificities related for the collection of sound data on national challenges and geographic to racialised communities across race and ethnicity, which in many specificities refer to”. Europe,” she added. cases is incomplete, to better tackle discrimination. “Furthering the fight against She emphasised that “racism racism in the EU is a shared and discrimination have multiple Last week, at the first European responsibility and the EU anti-racism layers which bring the reflection Summit Against Racism, Commission action plan creates the framework to about racism beyond interpersonal President Ursula von der Leyen bring together actors at all levels for relations, racism and discrimination said that the plan recognises that a more effective response,” Dalli said, should also be explored through structural racism exists in all areas adding that this would also include structural and institutional lenses”. and it would be member states’ “not only global and national actors responsibility to act. but also regional and local ones, “The data available to date which are the closest to the ground”. do not cover these structural “For the EU to become a truly and institutional dimensions, anti-racist Union, we need to make Member states would be therefore an analysis on the specific the most of the outcomes of the “essential” to ensure that EU law is manifestations per country or per Anti-Racism Summit to further properly applied so that individual regions will be always very limited,” this discussion within the highest rights and obligations are respected Wahlgren said. political arenas of the EU and the in practice, she said. member states,” Commissioner for At the same time, there is a lack of Equality Helena Dalli told EURACTIV. In February, the EU executive equalities data across the EU. told five EU countries — Belgium, Dalli confirmed a European anti- Bulgaria, Finland, Poland and Sweden “Most data collected for racial racism coordinator will be appointed — to quickly put a 2008 EU law and ethnic discrimination studies are “in the coming days”, while every against racism into their statutes, not disaggregated by race, ethnicity, member state will be asked to which they have not done so far. religion, migrant background, for nominate an expert to participate in a Similar letters were sent on the same example. The results contain some Commission-led group. matter to Estonia and Romania. biases as they are interpreted with other proxies close to the indicator “The coordinator will liaise closely If they do not transpose the race,” she added. with people with a minority racial or law, the commission can start legal ethnic background and relay their proceedings against the offending EU ANTI- concerns to the Commission, as well countries. DISCRIMINATION PUSH as interact with member states, the European Parliament, civil society Asked where she sees more need The European Commission and academia to strengthen policy for member states to act, Dalli said proposed an EU Anti-Racism Action responses in the field of anti-racism,” that they “should ensure national Plan last September, which laid out the Commissioner said. equality bodies to be independent policies to address structural racism and have enough funds to function and provide financial support for “This is not a one-time discussion properly, or that victims are aware of national positive-action policies. but a process of transformation. Until their rights, can easily defend them our societies are entirely transformed and receive adequate compensation “For the first time, the EU explicitly and racism is a distant memory, there when their rights are violated”. acknowledges the existence of is a need for everyone to do more,” structural, institutional and historical Dalli added. 6 SPECIAL REPORT | WHERE IS DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE? | EURACTIV Expert: Pandemic has exposed anti-Asian hate in France

By Anne Damiani | EURACTIV.fr

Racism against people of Asian descent is based on many racialised stereotypes, linked to language. “Immigrants are subjected to micro-aggressions in everyday life, to everyday racism”, the researcher noted. EPA-EFE/ETIENNE LAURENT [EPA-EFE/ETIENNE LAURENT]

week on from the massacre Demographic Studies (INED) Ya- in Pakistan or Sri Lanka. of eight people, most of them han Chuang about the growing Awomen of Asian descent, conversation surrounding France’s In France, the community mostly at three massage parlours in the Asian community. hails from East and South-East United States, a researcher has told Asia, from China, the countries that EURACTIV the pandemic has also seen The first thing to get straight about once made up the French territory a surge in racism faced by people of the community is that it is diverse, Ya- of Indochina – Cambodia, Laos and Asian descent in France. han Chuang said, pointing out that the Vietnam – as well as Japan and Korea. group includes people whose roots Anti-Asian racism is not just an trace back to around 40 countries. Indochinese elites began arriving American issue, as demonstrated by in France at the end of the 19th century, the upcoming trial in Paris this week Secondly, the researcher stressed as did Chinese entrepreneurs from the of five Twitter users accused of inciting that Asian immigration to France province of Wenzhou, a region known hate against “the Chinese”. took a different track historically than for trading precious stones such as in the United States or the United jade. EURACTIV France spoke to post- Kingdom, where the majority of the doctoral fellow at the Institute for community have roots in South Asia, However, the integration of

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Chinese migrants into French society hypersexualisation of Asian women, has proven more difficult than that many of which are all-too-often of the Vietnamese, Cambodian and repeated in the media and by elected Laotian arrivals, according to Ya-han officials, she added. Chuang. According to her, the health crisis “The people who fled Cambodia or has highlighted and reactivated Vietnam came as refugees and were overlapping “fantasies” related to given status to settle legally in the poor hygiene, eating habits and 1950s and 1960s. The catastrophic accusations of conspiracy. situation in their countries cut off any possibility of leaving, so they invested ‘LESS VIOLENT THAN THE in their lives here,” she said. US’

Chinese immigrants who obtained However, “France is less worker status and arrived in the violent than the US with its white 1980s after the opening of borders supremacists … We are not there yet,” or through family reunification, she said. “remained in an irregular situation” for a long time and “were granted a The researcher said that while she different political attitude,” Ya-han deplored the many incidents of anti- Chuang said. Asian racism still prevalent in schools and on social media, the growing However, with China’s growth online discussion surrounding the in the 2000s, young French people issue was to be welcomed. of Chinese origin have developed a sense of dual belonging. “Since 2016, we have started to talk about it. Before that, we thought RACISM, STEREOTYPES it was less serious because North PERPETUATED Africans for example suffer systemic racism from police violence,” said Ya- France’s Asian community han Chuang. remains highly localised, with around 90% of its members residing in Paris “My feeling is that young Chinese and the inner suburbs, particularly feel fully French, they watch French in the north-east. The north-eastern TV, go to French school, speak Parisian suburb of La Courneuve has French. They integrate well and their even been dubbed “little Asia”. There denunciation of racism shows that are further communities in Lyon and they adhere to the republican model,” Marseille. she added.

Ya-han Chuang said that racism against people of Asian descent is based on racialised stereotypes that are expressed in “so-called ‘micro- aggressions’ in everyday life,” she said.

Among the damaging stereotypes are perceived ties to the mafia and the 8 SPECIAL REPORT | WHERE IS DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE? | EURACTIV German school system still holds back children of migrants, experts say

By Sarah Lawton | EURACTIV.de

The way that Germany’s school system is structured puts students with a migration history at a disadvantage. [EPA-EFE | Sascha Steinbach]

n Germany, how well a child economic backgrounds consistently subsequent school career.” does in school is closely linked outperform their peers even when Ito their parental background, displaying the same cognitive abilities. Earlier this month, during a with immigrants and their children debate on the report in the German particularly affected by structural These children are more likely to be parliament, opposition politicians inequalities. Opposition politicians recommended for the highest tracks from the Greens, the far-left Die are calling for reforms, but experts in the country’s education system and Linke and the liberal Free Democrats fear there is a lack of political will for more likely to attend university. (FDP) demanded reforms to address the necessary overhaul. structural inequality in the country’s Published in January, the education system. Inequality in Germany’s government’s latest Education educational system is a well- Report for 2020 stated that “social However, experts say the political documented problem. For decades, background not only shapes the will is lacking for the kind of overhaul studies have confirmed that students transition to secondary school, but necessary to make real change from more advantaged socio- also plays an important role in the

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speak German as their first language. FOCUS ON MIGRATION Scherr said the disadvantages were also compounded by the way Teachers also have a role to play, he The problems are especially the German education system is added. “There is still a strong attitude apparent among students with a so- structured. “The question is whether among German teachers that it’s all called “migration background,” a schools compensate more or less” down to the families … but it is not statistical category indicating those for possible disadvantages, Scherr attributable to me. It’s a question of with at least one parent not born with said, pointing to two elements fate, because I can’t fight the family,” German citizenship. According to of the German system that make Scherr said. the report, children with a migration compensation less likely than background are four times more elsewhere. ‘WON’T WIN AN likely to be simultaneously impacted ELECTION’ by social, financial, and education- Firstly, Germany separates related risk factors. students by educational ability, a Education policy is a matter left to process often referred to as tracking. Germany’s 16 federal states, resulting This makes for a uniquely While other countries typically start in a patchwork education system challenging situation. tracking students between their sixth across the country. and tenth years in school, many states “It gets difficult when risk in Germany begin this process after Some states, such as Berlin, have situations accumulate and when fourth grade. made changes to these traditional discrimination and racism are structures, for example tracking added to the mix,” the migrant “Education research shows four students into separate schools only umbrella organisation BV-NeMO told years [in school] is way too early,” after sixth grade. The city also has EURACTIV. Scherr said. an expansive system of integrated comprehensive schools, which keep In the 30 to 35 age bracket, just Klaus Kohlmeyer, Managing all students together regardless of 18.7% of those with a migration Director of BQN Berlin, an association academic ability. background born in Germany have that works to encourage the societal attained a university degree. Among participation of people with a Scherr would prefer tracking to those with two German born parents, migration background, agrees. come even later than that, after the that figure rises to 29.6%. “The early selection process and the 10th grade, while Kohlmeyer wants permanent pressure to be evaluated schools to do away with selecting Structural inequalities vary and graded humiliate children and students for different career paths depending upon where a student’s young people instead of strengthening entirely. family is from, the report notes. them,” he told EURACTIV. Those from the western and northern However, Scherr fears that there is EU countries were far more likely to Secondly, Germany’s public little political will to make the kind of have a university degree than those schools usually only run until the drastic reforms needed. with backgrounds rooted in Eastern early afternoon, which delegates Europe or Turkey. part of the student’s education to “Every politician knows that if parents who may be better or worse they were to seek substantial change STRUCTURAL positioned to support their children, in the education system now, a large DISADVANTAGES Scherr said. number of … middle-class parents would turn against them. No one “Social disadvantages and The situation becomes even more seriously touches that because migration have historically been difficult if language learning is thrown everyone knows it won’t win an closely coupled in Germany,” into the mix. “Language support is election,” he said. Albert Scherr, director of Freiburg underdeveloped in Germany,” Scherr University’s Institute for Sociology, said, adding that the system is not told EURACTIV. designed for students who do not 10 SPECIAL REPORT | WHERE IS DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE? | EURACTIV Rise of nationalist parties threatens to stall progress on race discrimination in Belgium

By Alexandra Brzozowski | EURACTIV.com

Protesters of right-wing and far-right Flemish associations march during a protest against the UN Migration Pact in Brussels, Belgium. [Shutterstock/Alexandros Michailidis]

n 2021, Belgium will mark 40 years in general adopted a policy of non- victory in 2024. since the national Anti-Racism cooperation with Vlaams Belang. IAct was passed. However, despite ‘STRUCTURAL efforts to combat racism and ethnic The party has called for the CHARACTER’ discrimination, complaints of racism expulsion of “foreigners who will rose by almost 50% in 2020. not adapt to what it sees as Flemish According to Unia, an independent cultural norms, considering as public institution that fights After the 2019 general elections, “foreign” anyone who has two discrimination and promotes equal the rise of Flemish anti-immigrant nationalities, a category that includes opportunities, it received a record Vlaams Belang rang alarm bells as the vast majority of descendants of number of complaints relating to it emerged as the second-largest immigrants. racism and discrimination in 2020, political force in Flanders, behind 49% more than in 2019. another far-right separatist party But although they are shut out known as the N-VA. of the current federal government, “All figures and examples of many analysts think it likely that individual situations illustrate the Belgium’s political parties have these parties could achieve an election structural character of the racial

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Continued from Page 10 discrimination that occurs in our In September 2019, the new society. These are not examples that Flemish government announced its Last summer, Flemish lawmakers stand-alone,” Els Keytsman, director intentions to stop subsidising Unia approved a resolution to “map” of Unia, said in a statement on the from 2023 and to create a Flemish-led racism by monitoring biased or World Day against Racism. Center for Human Rights. discriminatory incidents across different activity sectors, led by In 2020, at the initiative of former Some observers believe that this an independent and academic Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès, is one of the traces of the influence of monitoring system. Belgium established an inter- Vlaams Belang on the new Flemish ministerial conference on the fight government, De Morgen reported. This, however, fell short of the left- against racism and anti-Semitism to wing opposition’s aim to introduce a better coordinate the actions of the “The Flemish coalition agreement legal framework for so-called ‘field country’s various authorities. of October 2019 states that the tests’ in Flanders, whereby inspection cooperation with Unia will be services specifically check whether “It is hopeful that Belgian discontinued at the end of the current there is discrimination or racism politicians are finally working on agreement,” De Bruyn said. without making themselves known, a national action plan to combat in areas such as on the labour market racism,” Keytsman said, adding that He confirmed that the current or in the rental of homes. Unia will participate in the inter- cooperation agreement will run until ministerial conference. March 2023.

“We are confident that after “Flanders will then set up an hesitation and no real commitment, equal opportunities centre, which the goal is to adopt a national action will work on the basis of the Flemish plan this year,” Unia co-director anti-discrimination legislation and Patrick Charlier, told EURACTIV. will integrate the tasks of Unia and the Gender Chamber of the Flemish “The key question at the political Ombudsperson’s Service,” De Bruyn level is to admit and recognise the fact said. that there is a problem of structural discrimination in our society,” According to Charlier, the Charlier said. decision was also due to the fact that the Flemish government has been FLANDERS IN “reluctant” to recognise structural TRANSITION discrimination, which caused tensions with his organisation. In 2008, Flanders introduced its own ambitious anti-discrimination “As we are promoting, speaking legislation. However, according to De and communicating on the issue Standaard, only fourteen cases have of structural discrimination, a been brought to court. nationalistic party like Vlaams Belang and N-VA are not keen to participate “The Flemish legal framework in an inter-federal process like with converts the EU directives on equal Unia, but instead want a Flemish body treatment, and goes even further,” having the competences,” he added. Tom De Bruyn, from the Department Equal Opportunities, Integration and One area where Flanders, but Civic Integration for the Government also Belgium, are lagging behind, of Flanders, told EURACTIV. according to Unia, is tackling discrimination on the labour market. 12 SPECIAL REPORT | WHERE IS DISCRIMINATION IN EUROPE? | EURACTIV Nordic countries set up Sámi reconciliation commissions to investigate indigenous injustices

By Alexandra Brzozowski | EURACTIV.com

Man in traditional Sami costume, with reindeer and sled, Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland. [Shutterstock/footageclips]

olonial era policies in northern From at least the 19th century, The process, Sámi representatives Scandinavia continue to affect governments in Norway, Sweden, told EURACTIV, has negatively affected CSámi life, culture and land use. Finland and Russia pursued aggressive Sami languages, education and way of Meanwhile, truth commissions are policies of assimilation, involving life until today. being set up and aim to investigate the education system and church injustices against Indigenous people discouraging or actively suppressing But while the persecution of carried out by the states. Sami languages and culture and rights to culture and language have forcibly assimilating Sami children gradually ceased, climate change and There are an estimated 100,000 to into the dominant culture. land exploitation pose new threats to 150,000 Sámi in the Arctic regions, the existence of Sámi communities. whose traditional homeland, an area The Council of Europe and collectively referred to as Sapmi, spans European human rights organisations ‘TRUTH COMMISSIONS’ the Arctic regions of Norway, Sweden, have repeatedly condemned the lack Finland and the Kola Peninsula in of local representation of the Sámi in Sámi parliaments across Northern Russia’s western Arctic. national governance decisions. Europe have suggested the set-up of so-called truth commissions as

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Continued from Page 12 one means of addressing systemic peoples and also to young people,” discrimination. One issue is a general lack of trust Michael Mann, EU Special Envoy by Sámi people that the process will for Arctic Matters, told EURACTIV Inspired by Canada’s Truth and end with tangible improvements for during a recent event. Reconciliation Commission, which their daily life. completed its work in 2015, they are Arctic stakeholders stressed that meant to include methods such as “The majority population has identity is of major importance to public hearings and “psychosocial been taught that they are an inferior, the young generation, who have support” for those who testify. lower class of people,” a 2018 report “preserved Sámi language, culture prepared for the Finnish prime and traditions, despite strong The Norwegian body was minister on the feasibility of a truth assimilation politics”. established in 2018, while the Finnish commission stated. government agreed to the formation “Sámi are threatened with losing of a Truth and Reconciliation “They suspect that … the Finnish their land due to renewable energy Commission in 2019 and the Sámi government is trying to improve production such as windmill parks, in Sweden started their work on a its reputation internationally as a mines and new infrastructure. similar structure in 2020. country that respects human rights Reindeer herding and industrial … at the same time [as] it is further projects in traditional lands cannot Russia, however, is lagging behind weakening the rights of the Sámi coexist,” Enni Similä, chair of the with attempts being made to silence people,” the report added. Finnish Sámi Youth Association, said. critical indigenous voices in the country. Getting a chance to understand “We have been watching with the situation and educate the interest the various lawsuits that Most of the truth commissions are population of the home countries have been going on in the Northern expected to take several years. could contribute to “moving away countries aimed at safeguarding from discrimination attitudes”, Juuso these traditional lands and ways of Asked what measures are needed stressed. life and in our policymaking,” the EU’s to counteract ethnic discrimination of Arctic envoy said. Sámi, Tuomas Aslak Juuso, President “It’s important that governments of the Finnish Sámi Parliament, show a willingness to commit to those told EURACTIV that the best tool rights, which have been promised and is to focus on reminding Northern which they are obliged to fulfil,” Juuso European countries of the need to told EURACTIV. observe human rights. EUROPE’S CLOSER LOOK According to Juuso, “it is important to remind that human As the EU works on updating rights are a core part of democratic its Arctic policy, which is due to be work, especially in Northern Europe, published by the end of this year, where maybe many people think youth representatives from the that we are already human rights European Arctic have called on countries that are doing everything policymakers to ensure that Arctic well in this domain.” youth and Indigenous peoples are included in the actions that will “That’s why we arrived at the need directly affect their futures. for the reconciliation commission – to recognise that there have been “Perhaps in the past, authorities, wrongdoings with dishonest colonial in general, have been guilty of paying practices that are still impacting Sami lip service to the views of people people heavily,” he added. who live in the Arctic, to indigenous THE DUTCH BID FOR EMA

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