Discrimination in the European Union

The European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) has presented its Annual Report 2006. The report looked at racial discrimination and racist crime data and found out that migrants and ethnic minorities remain discriminated against across the EU in employment, education and housing. However, many European Union Member States still have inadequate systems to record racist and discriminatory incidents. „This indicates that the problem of racism continues to be underreported and neglected“, the report concludes.
The report states that the European union member states have not yet completed actions to collect concise data about discrimination. The EUMC shows „good practice“ actions in Belgium where police reports on criminal offences will include a field to complete on whether „discrimination“ played a role. In Poland, a new team for monitoring racism and xenophobia has been established within the Department of Denominations and National minorities.
However, several developments in 2005 suggest that awareness of discrimination in employment is growing in the minds of policy makers in several Member States. The situation of immigrants in the housing market remains a strong concern in all EU member states – they live in poorer and more insecure circumstances than the national average.
The report also focused on the partial or even total segregation in education and found out that educational segregation remains common in parts of the European Union. Shortly after the decision of the Dutch government to prohibit the wearing of Burqas in public, the EUMC calls all European Union member states to re-think their opinions on religious symbols. They urge member States to explain clearly, and in a way which does not lead to the stigmatisation of affected individuals or communities, the reason for planned prohibition policies and its benefits to society. „Member States need to ensure that such policies are consistent with non-discrimination and equality legislation and principles“, the report demands.