Equality, non-discrimination and racism

FRA’s Director in his video statement to the online General Conference of the European Coalition of cities against racism (ECCAR) on 19-20 November spoke of the serious patterns of discrimination and discriminatory attitudes towards certain population groups. He also pointed to how the COVID-19 pandemic has made matters worse.

Safeguarding children rights is more important than ever. Measures to tackle the spread of COVID-19 risk having a lasting effect on our children and our future. Children’s day on 20 November reminds us to step up efforts to protect the rights of all children and to provide them with opportunities to contribute to change.

The wave of violent anti-Jewish pogroms on 9 November 1938 – the so-called ‘Kristallnacht’ – is a poignant reminder of why Europe needs to eliminate once and for all the persistent antisemitism that pervades society. Antisemitism makes many Jews question why remain in Europe. If Europe fails its Jewish community, the modern European project will have failed.

People can now also order the 2018 edition of the handbook on European non-discrimination law in Bulgarian and Croatian.

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is shocked and saddened by the terrorism that shook Vienna last night. It extends its sympathy to the families of the victims and those injured in the shootings.

FRA presented the results of its surveys on Roma and Travellers in the Council Working Party on Social Questions on 29 October.

On 8 October, FRA gave a presentation drawing from its research on the fight against Homophobia and Transphobia at the launch of the Council of Europe’s Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals (HELP) Programme in Spain.

The FRA Director exchanged views with justice ministers from across the EU on 9 October on combating antisemitism and hate speech.

The Coronavirus pandemic hit Roma and Travellers particularly hard, shows a new bulletin from the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Many Roma and Travellers lost their income, overcrowding and lack of sanitation increased their health risks, and distance learning was difficult without internet access. Discrimination and anti-Roma rhetoric have increased too, especially online. FRA calls on policymakers to urgently address these immediate challenges and put in place lasting structures to fight deep-rooted prejudice and discrimination.

The handbook on European law relating to the rights of the child is now also available in Georgian.

Living in some of the richest countries in the world, a quarter of Roma and Travellers in Western Europe cannot afford basic items such as heating or healthy food, and up to a fifth of their children go to bed hungry, reveal the results of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency’s (FRA) new survey. Rampant discrimination coupled with early school leaving also leads to lack of job opportunities and widespread poverty for many. As a result, the life expectancy of Roma and Travellers is 10 years below the expectancy of the general population. These findings should drive policy responses at EU and national level and support policymakers to work with Roma and Travellers to tackle exclusion and poverty.

Most incidents of hatred against Jews go unreported. This, coupled with large data gaps, masks the true extent of antisemitism and hampers efforts to formulate effective responses, according to FRA’s latest annual overview.

The youth of today can help shape a fundamental rights-compliant Europe of tomorrow.

The youth of today can help shape a fundamental rights-compliant Europe of tomorrow. From climate change to social injustice, many young people are mobilising to bring about change. On International Youth Day on 12 August, FRA calls on the EU and its Member States to build on this momentum to engage and work with young people across Europe.

FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty delivered a video message during the virtual Roma Holocaust commemoration ceremony on 2 August.

Today’s rising hate crime and persistent discrimination towards Roma, Sinti and Travellers across Europe underlines the need to learn from the past to build a better future for Roma, as we commemorate Roma Holocaust Memorial Day.

The dataset from FRA’s Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU MIDIS II) is now available for further use by researchers.