On 2 June 2022, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published its Annual Report where it identified the main trends in Europe: Adverse impact of Covid-19 on vulnerable groups, racism in policing and intimidation of LGBTI people.

The Covid-19 pandemic that continued in 2021 led to an increased digitalisation of services (including in education, in the healthcare sector or in the delivery of residence or work permits), and further marginalised vulnerable groups that were not in a position to use digital technologies. Persons with a migration background were often overrepresented in the service sector where remote work and a home office were not possible; and were therefore running a risk of greater exposure to the virus. Besides, the hospitality, food, entertainment, and tourism sector, as well as informal economy where many immigrants are employed, were badly affected by the prolonged lockdowns and by the resulting general economic downturn. On the positive side, the important role of migrant workers in the health sector and other vital public services was further highlighted in some countries.

In the field of education, the various Covid-related restrictions imposed on schools negatively impacted those children who already faced the most difficulties, such as migrant children and Roma: online learning was often challenging due to the lack of suitable space, equipment, and Internet connection. While in some countries the authorities took measures to help disadvantaged children catch up with their schooling, this was not the case across all Council of Europe member states. Many adults, too, were hit by the disruption of education services, in particular recently arrived migrants enrolled in integration and language courses.

On the occasion of the publication of the annual report for 2021, the Chair of ECRI, Maria Daniella Marouda, stated that the danger of ultra-nationalist political statements and hate speech must never be underestimated. “This is the ultra-nationalist political discourse and propaganda that has preceded and accompanies the ongoing aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which started in February 2022 and has resulted in the immense suffering of the Ukrainian people,” she stressed. “ECRI commends the authorities, equality bodies and civil society actors of the Council of Europe member states offering protection to people fleeing from Ukraine by helping them to ensure access to their rights, such as their rights to health care, social welfare, housing, education and employment. It trusts that reports about unjustified differential treatment of Roma and people of African or Asian descent coming from Ukraine will be effectively investigated and that the authorities will ensure that there is no discrimination against any of the people who should be offered protection and assistance.” All people fleeing war and other emergencies, irrespective of their national or ethnic origin, citizenship, skin colour, religion, language, sexual orientation or gender identity, should be promptly offered adequate protection, she concluded.

On 9 June 2022, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published a monitoring report on Denmark, where it called on the Danish authorities to address discrimination of Muslims and avoid evictions of families with a migration background in the neighbourhoods referred to as “parallel society”. As a matter of priority, the authorities should introduce a national action plan against racism, with a particular emphasis on preventing anti-Muslim racism and discrimination. The action plan should cover education, public awareness, promotion of counter speech and the training of relevant professionals, such as law enforcement officials and teachers. Securing staff with Muslim and other minority backgrounds in such professions should also be among the elements of this action plan. The second recommendation for which ECRI requested priority implementation is that the Danish authorities should avoid forced evictions of families with a migration background in the neighbourhoods referred to as “parallel society”. While ECRI understands that the objective of such evictions is to achieve a more balanced composition between “non-westerners”, EU citizens and “native Danes” in those areas, the authorities should instead introduce positive incentives for all population groups concerned in order to diversify the inhabitants in these areas. Beyond the forced evictions, ECRI was concerned by the broader implications of the official “parallel society” policy, until recently referred to as “ghetto” policy, and related legislation which classifies migrants into “westerners” and “non-westerners” and risks causing stigmatisation of the latter in many policy areas.