THERE are still stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination against minority groups, particularly Roma, as well as against immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Bulgaria.
This conclusion was made in one of the five reports the Council of Europe's expert body on combating racism, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), released in Strasbourg at the end of January. In the reports, which examined racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism and intolerance in Belgium, Bulgaria, Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland, the ECRI said that, in all of these five Council of Europe member countries, there had been positive developments. Meanwhile the reports detail continuing grounds for concern for the ECRI.
"There are still serious problems connected with the excessive use of firearms and force by the police against Roma, and ECRI stresses the problem of segregation of Roma children in schools," the report said.
Similar findings were stated in the report on Slovakia.
"Racially-motivated violence, including serious acts of police brutality continue," the report on Slovakia said. "The Roma minority remains severely disadvantaged in most areas of life, particularly in the fields of housing, employment and education. The ECRI also calls for a full, transparent and impartial investigation into the recent allegations concerning sterilisations of Roma women without their full and informed consent," the report said.
"There are still serious problems connected with the excessive use of firearms and force by the police against Roma. A large majority of Roma continue to face serious financial and social problems, live in very deprived neighbourhoods and are hard hit by unemployment," it said. There was still a widespread problem of segregation of Roma children in schools, and, so far, the implementation of the Framework Programme for Equal Integration of Roma in Bulgarian Society, which the government adopted in 1999, is still in its early stages.
However, similar discriminatory practices were alleged in regard to Belgium.
"The issue of political parties which resort to racist or xenophobic propaganda is of special concern to ECRI. Much remains to be done to ensure that foreigners and persons of immigrant background enjoy genuinely equal opportunities in employment". The increase in manifestations of anti-semitism and Islamophobia calls for concerted efforts by Belgian society as a whole against these phenomena," the report said.
As a positive development in Bulgaria, the report noted the programme by the Ministry of Education on integration of children from minorities in schools. The European Court of Human Rights has received a request for the formation of a Macedonian party, the report said, and recommended respecting the rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria.
The report on Bulgaria addresses a series of recommendations to the authorities in particular the ratification of Protocol12 of the European Convention on Human Rights and other international instruments concerned with combating racism and intolerance. Another aspect concerning authorities' attention in the report is the need to respect freedom of religion, on the one hand, and the freedom of association of Macedonians, on the other. The ECRI also recommended that the authorities take steps to ensure that criminal law provisions designed to combat racism are more strictly implemented. With regard to civil and administrative law, the ECRI recommended that the authorities implement the law on the protection against discrimination and set up the commission for the protection against discrimination, as provided for in law.
It said there was a need to intensify efforts in order to improve the situation of Roma in all fields, particularly in economic and social matters.
"The ECRI encourages the Bulgarian authorities to continue their efforts to improve the situation of other minority groups, including Turks, Macedonians and Pomaks, as well as the situation of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers."
A similar issue was touched on in the report on Norway.
The ECRI raised concern about the need to ensure adequate protection against racism in Norway. "Much remains to be done to ensure that foreigners and persons of immigrant background enjoy genuinely equal opportunities in employment and housing. A number of issues as regards the situation of immigrants and asylum seekers in Norway are raised by the ECRI."
"The ECRI recommends that the Bulgarian authorities closely monitor the allegations of discrimination and acts of intolerance against persons of Pomak origin and, if necessary, take steps to punish such acts," the report said. The ECRI also recommended that the Bulgarian authorities combat the stereotypes and prejudices that still existed against people of Pomak origin and take steps to make the majority population aware of this problem.
The report on Bulgaria recommended the continuation of human rights training for officials in contact with members of these minority groups and awareness raising among the general public and the media regarding issues of racism and intolerance.
Regarding the police, it advocated amending the legislation on the use of firearms and closely monitoring the situation regarding the excessive use of such weapons and of force against Roma.
Switzerland was also advised about its minority group problems in the third report about the country.
"The incidence of police misbehaviour and discriminatory treatment towards members of certain minority groups, notably black Africans, is a matter of concern, as is the general climate of opinion in society towards this group."
The issue of asylum seekers and refugees was also the subject of negative and hostile debate in public and political spheres, and a number of problems remained in the field of the asylum procedure, the report on Switzerland said.
Returning to Bulgaria, the report said of the situation of the Turkish minority, "the ECRI observes that the situation is still improving with regard to the problems of discrimination and intolerance, even though substantial progress still needs to be made. It also notes that the large part of the Turkish minority live in a region particularly hard-hit by the economic recession and social crisis and are financially and socially disadvantaged in comparison to the rest of the Bulgarian population."
The ECRI said Bulgaria should continue efforts to improve the situation of members of the Turkish community in Bulgaria, particularly in respect of the protection of their economic, social and cultural rights.
The ECRI recommended combating the segregation of Roma children in schools and implementing the Framework Programme for Equal Integration of Roma in Bulgarian Society, ensuring that suitable strategies are introduced at regional and local level.
"ECRI recommends that the Bulgarian authorities ensure that Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights, concerning freedom of religion, is respected in all circumstances, with due regard for the relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights," report on Bulgaria said. ECRI reminded that under Article 9, paragraph 2 of the ECHR, freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
"The ECRI recommends that the Bulgarian authorities ensure that Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights, concerning freedom of religion, is respected in all circumstances, with due regard for the relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights," report on Bulgaria said. The ECRI said that under Article 9, paragraph 2 of the ECHR, freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
This conclusion was made in one of the five reports the Council of Europe's expert body on combating racism, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), released in Strasbourg at the end of January. In the reports, which examined racism, xenophobia, anti-semitism and intolerance in Belgium, Bulgaria, Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland, the ECRI said that, in all of these five Council of Europe member countries, there had been positive developments. Meanwhile the reports detail continuing grounds for concern for the ECRI.
"There are still serious problems connected with the excessive use of firearms and force by the police against Roma, and ECRI stresses the problem of segregation of Roma children in schools," the report said.
Similar findings were stated in the report on Slovakia.
"Racially-motivated violence, including serious acts of police brutality continue," the report on Slovakia said. "The Roma minority remains severely disadvantaged in most areas of life, particularly in the fields of housing, employment and education. The ECRI also calls for a full, transparent and impartial investigation into the recent allegations concerning sterilisations of Roma women without their full and informed consent," the report said.
"There are still serious problems connected with the excessive use of firearms and force by the police against Roma. A large majority of Roma continue to face serious financial and social problems, live in very deprived neighbourhoods and are hard hit by unemployment," it said. There was still a widespread problem of segregation of Roma children in schools, and, so far, the implementation of the Framework Programme for Equal Integration of Roma in Bulgarian Society, which the government adopted in 1999, is still in its early stages.
However, similar discriminatory practices were alleged in regard to Belgium.
"The issue of political parties which resort to racist or xenophobic propaganda is of special concern to ECRI. Much remains to be done to ensure that foreigners and persons of immigrant background enjoy genuinely equal opportunities in employment". The increase in manifestations of anti-semitism and Islamophobia calls for concerted efforts by Belgian society as a whole against these phenomena," the report said.
As a positive development in Bulgaria, the report noted the programme by the Ministry of Education on integration of children from minorities in schools. The European Court of Human Rights has received a request for the formation of a Macedonian party, the report said, and recommended respecting the rights of the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria.
The report on Bulgaria addresses a series of recommendations to the authorities in particular the ratification of Protocol12 of the European Convention on Human Rights and other international instruments concerned with combating racism and intolerance. Another aspect concerning authorities' attention in the report is the need to respect freedom of religion, on the one hand, and the freedom of association of Macedonians, on the other. The ECRI also recommended that the authorities take steps to ensure that criminal law provisions designed to combat racism are more strictly implemented. With regard to civil and administrative law, the ECRI recommended that the authorities implement the law on the protection against discrimination and set up the commission for the protection against discrimination, as provided for in law.
It said there was a need to intensify efforts in order to improve the situation of Roma in all fields, particularly in economic and social matters.
"The ECRI encourages the Bulgarian authorities to continue their efforts to improve the situation of other minority groups, including Turks, Macedonians and Pomaks, as well as the situation of immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers."
A similar issue was touched on in the report on Norway.
The ECRI raised concern about the need to ensure adequate protection against racism in Norway. "Much remains to be done to ensure that foreigners and persons of immigrant background enjoy genuinely equal opportunities in employment and housing. A number of issues as regards the situation of immigrants and asylum seekers in Norway are raised by the ECRI."
"The ECRI recommends that the Bulgarian authorities closely monitor the allegations of discrimination and acts of intolerance against persons of Pomak origin and, if necessary, take steps to punish such acts," the report said. The ECRI also recommended that the Bulgarian authorities combat the stereotypes and prejudices that still existed against people of Pomak origin and take steps to make the majority population aware of this problem.
The report on Bulgaria recommended the continuation of human rights training for officials in contact with members of these minority groups and awareness raising among the general public and the media regarding issues of racism and intolerance.
Regarding the police, it advocated amending the legislation on the use of firearms and closely monitoring the situation regarding the excessive use of such weapons and of force against Roma.
Switzerland was also advised about its minority group problems in the third report about the country.
"The incidence of police misbehaviour and discriminatory treatment towards members of certain minority groups, notably black Africans, is a matter of concern, as is the general climate of opinion in society towards this group."
The issue of asylum seekers and refugees was also the subject of negative and hostile debate in public and political spheres, and a number of problems remained in the field of the asylum procedure, the report on Switzerland said.
Returning to Bulgaria, the report said of the situation of the Turkish minority, "the ECRI observes that the situation is still improving with regard to the problems of discrimination and intolerance, even though substantial progress still needs to be made. It also notes that the large part of the Turkish minority live in a region particularly hard-hit by the economic recession and social crisis and are financially and socially disadvantaged in comparison to the rest of the Bulgarian population."
The ECRI said Bulgaria should continue efforts to improve the situation of members of the Turkish community in Bulgaria, particularly in respect of the protection of their economic, social and cultural rights.
The ECRI recommended combating the segregation of Roma children in schools and implementing the Framework Programme for Equal Integration of Roma in Bulgarian Society, ensuring that suitable strategies are introduced at regional and local level.
"ECRI recommends that the Bulgarian authorities ensure that Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights, concerning freedom of religion, is respected in all circumstances, with due regard for the relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights," report on Bulgaria said. ECRI reminded that under Article 9, paragraph 2 of the ECHR, freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
"The ECRI recommends that the Bulgarian authorities ensure that Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights, concerning freedom of religion, is respected in all circumstances, with due regard for the relevant case law of the European Court of Human Rights," report on Bulgaria said. The ECRI said that under Article 9, paragraph 2 of the ECHR, freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
