1
June
2005

Annual Report 2005 - Part 2

This annual report of the Agency is the EU's first comprehensive overview of racist, xenophobic, antisemitic and anti-Muslim discrimination, and responses to it, to cover all 25 EU Member States. The Roma emerge as the group most vulnerable to racism in the EU. They face discrimination in employment, housing and education - as well as being regular victims of racial violence. Other groups facing high levels of discrimination in many Member States are migrant workers from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Muslim groups face particularly challenging conditions in many Member States. Also recent migrants from Russia or the Ukraine may be subject to discrimination in some Member States.

The Agency's report lists a number of policy initiatives and measures which could promote equality, combat racial discrimination and encourage better relations between majority and minority communities:

  • Full implementation of EU anti-discrimination law;
  • Ensure that national employment strategies include targets for improving the situation of migrants/minorities and operational measures against discrimination;
  • Remove practices which undermine the right to housing, such as the exclusion of certain groups from social housing;
  • Ensure that access to education is equal for all and that all members of society benefit fully from education;
  • Further develop legislation, criminal justice initiatives and data collection on racist incidents to provide a basis for policies which protect victims and deter perpetrators.

The Agency presented its Annual Report 2005 to the European Parliament on 23 November 2005. The report looks at the evidence of discrimination in employment, housing and education, as well as racist crime data, and at measures being taken to combat this. Across the EU, the EUMC finds migrants and minorities to be overrepresented in the less prestigious employment sectors. Segregation in the housing sector is particularly prevalent in some Member States. Also educational achievements of a number of migrant and minority groups lag behind the majority population. The Agency warns that data gaps may result in serious discrimination in key areas remaining unnoticed. The report lists examples of best practice aimed at combating the exclusion of minorities.