Norway should take effective measures to rebuild trust and raise awareness in particular of the Tater/Romani and the Roma national minorities in the country; step up efforts to preserve their cultural identities and facilitate their access to education. Alternative measures to the placement of Roma children in child welfare services should also be put in place, says the new Opinion of the Council of Europe´s Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities that was published today together with the comment from the Norwegian Government.
Norway continues to ensure protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities; progress has been made to officially acknowledge and remedy heavy-handed assimilation policies against the Tater/Romani and the Roma applied in the past. However, The authorities should address discriminatory attitudes towards these minorities’ travelling lifestyle and ensure their access to education and employment.
As in many parts of Europe, there is evidence of increasing hate speech and xenophobic discourse directed against immigrants, ethnic and national minorities, and indigenous people, by politicians, the media and society at large.
