1
December
2004

Migrants, Minorities and Legislation: Documenting Legal Measures and Remedies against Discrimination in 15 Member States of the European Union

The report analyses the existing and developing legal measures and remedies against discrimination of migrants and minorities, especially within the framework of the two EU anti-discrimination directives and their transposition into national legislation.

Referring to the year when the Directives were due to be transposed, the study presents a comparative analysis of existing and developing legal measures and remedies against discrimination of migrants and ethnic minorities. The overview shows that the Member States' legislations and policies vary widely, not least due to differing historical experiences with immigration.

The Agency commissioned the material for this report from its European Racism and Xenophobia Network (RAXEN). The report analyses the existing and currently developing legal measures and remedies against discrimination of migrants and minorities, especially within the framework of the two European Council Directives anti-discrimination Directives and their implementation through national legislation. This overview shows that the Member States' legislations and integration policies vary widely, not least due to differing historical experiences with immigration. Countries with colonial past and resulting long-term residence of minority population tend to have adopted systematic concepts of anti-discrimination policies, whereas countries with more recent immigration often have not done so. The report concludes with specific proposals for the EU and its Member States.