The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) today published new reports on Austria, Czech Republic and Estonia, analysing recent developments and outstanding issues, and providing recommendations to the authorities.
According to ECRI’s Chair, Christian Ahlund, the authorities of the three countries have made efforts to implement efficient integration strategies, and there are positive developments in the legal sphere, such as the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act in the Czech Republic, amendment of the Citizenship Act in Estonia and of the Criminal Code in Austria.
Nevertheless, concerns remain, such as antipathy towards migrants,hate speech on the internet and difficulties for victims of racism and discrimination to obtain aid and redress. Besides, some criminal law provisions in the country only target national socialist motivated, but not all racist acts and the law is not applied firmly enough to organisations disseminating racist, xenophobic and neo-Nazi ideas.
In the Czech Republic, strategies for Roma integration and combatting social exclusion have had little effect. Many “Roma-only” schools providing a reduced curriculum and lower-quality education continue to exist. No specific and measurable targets have been fixed for transfers of Roma children from practical to ordinary education and none appear to have taken place in practice. ECRI expressed particular concern about 26 violent anti-Roma demonstrations organized by right-wing extremist groups throughout 2013.
In Estonia, the number of stateless persons and unemployment rate among Russian speakers remains high, despite the relaxation of criteria for obtaining the citizenship. Incitement to racial hatred is punishable only when the victim’s health, life or property is at stake.