ENAR Weekly Mail 27

6 January 2006

 

 

·      Germany: Immigration Law marks one year

For years, Germany shied away from regulating immigration. Then 12 months ago it finally put a new immigration law on the books which seems to have achieved very little. The bill sought to integrate those immigrants who are already there, streamline asylum procedures and put provisions in place for the recruitment of highly skilled foreigner nationals who would help revive the German economy. Read more

 

·      German State to question Muslim immigrants on views

A German state (Baden-Württemberg) has said that Muslims applying to immigrate will be singled out for tougher questioning from 1 January 2006, including 30 questions on applicants’ political and cultural views, in a decision blasted in Berlin as discriminatory. Read more

 

·      Ireland: A protest tinged with racism?

In December, thousands of Irish turned out to support striking ferry workers in their battle against cheap foreign labour. Unions fear it may be for the wrong reasons. Read more

 

·      Italy: Di Canio fined over salute

Lazio striker Paolo Di Canio has been banned for one game and fined €10,000 for making a fascist raised-arm salute in a match against Juventus on 17 December 2005. The former Italy international made the gesture after being substituted in the 1-1 draw against Juventus at the Olympic Stadium. Read more

 

·      Luxemburg: Second condemnation for non-transposition of the Employment Directive

The Court of Justice of the European Communities has again condemned Luxemburg in October 2005 (Case C-70/05). It has judged that “by failing to adopt the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has failed to fulfil its obligations under that directive.” Read the judgement

·      Malta: Archbishop’s message takes the “immigration test”

Archbishop Mgr Mercieca focused on the “immigration test” in his Christmas message saying that there were unhappy moments when certain words and attitudes were expressed with regards to the arrivals of illegal immigrants on the island. “Racism is not in our blood and we should work together, especially through education, to prevent it,” Mgr Mercieca said. Read more

 

·      Spain: Athletico Madrid fined over fans' racism

Athletico Madrid have been fined €6000 by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) for the racial abuse of Espanyol's Cameroon goalkeeper Carlos Kameni in a league match in November. Although the fan abuse was not noted in the referee match report, the RFEF said it acted after a complaint from the government-run Anti-violence Commission which estimated that some 500 fans had been involved in the incidents. Read more

 

·      Festive goodwill can help end discrimination in Scotland

The country’s largest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), on 24 December called for schools to make use of the goodwill which builds up over the festive season to help combat racism and other forms of discrimination in society. The EIS suggested that the festive season is ideal for young people to consider and explore important issues of equality. To help schools and pupils explore the important issue of racism, the EIS has launched a new anti-racism competition for all Scottish schools in partnership with the charity Show Racism the Red Card. Read more

 

·      Sweden: Discrimination “part of Migration Board culture”

The scandal surrounding the Swedish Board of Migration in December is nothing new, according to a forthcoming academic study in which Swedish migration policy is described as nationalistic and discriminatory. Instead, the kind of behaviour which has been revealed is part of a culture which has existed among employees for many years. Read more – Background: Migration manager fired after cake celebration

 

·      UK: Darkie Day ditched

The racist Cornish festival of Darkie Day has finally been ditched after years of controversy. The late MP Bernie Grant campaigned against the local tradition of blacking-up with charcoal, wearing Afro-wigs and performing minstrel songs. Read more

 

·      Modern identity is not all black or white - it's a beige thing

“My experience of ticking the ‘mixed race’ box makes me hope that a better understanding of ethnicity will evolve.” A Comment in The Guardian by Raphael Mokades, managing director of Rare Recruitment, a recruitment agency for ethnic minority graduates (raph@rarerecruitment.co.uk). Read more

 

 

·      Russia: African students in St Petersburg protest racism

Dozens of African students rallied on 27 December to protest against the killing of a comrade in what is believed to be the latest in a string of racially-motivated attacks in Russia's second largest city. Kanhem Leon, from Cameroon, was the second African student in as many months to have been murdered by skinheads in St Petersburg, and dozens more have been beaten or injured in knife attacks. Read more (Yahoo news) and more (The Times)

 

Related article: Symbolic convictions in St. Petersburg

The end of 2005 was marked by two convictions in high-profile skinhead gang cases in St. Petersburg. Following the murder, in 2004, of Nikolai Girenko - an academic known for his opposition to neo-Nazi - and threats against Governor Valentina Matviyenko, the city’s law enforcement voiced their commitment to investigate crimes by neo-Nazi skinhead gangs. Read more

 

 

·      Economic migration in the EU – Commission presents a roadmap on Legal Migration

The EC adopted on 21 December a “Policy Plan on Legal Migration”, jointly presented by Vice-President Frattini, Commissioner (Justice, Freedom and Security), and Commissioner Špidla (Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities). This plan has been developed in order to comply with a request in the Hague Programme, the EU multi-annual work programme in the field of Justice, Freedom and Security. The Hague programme explicitly asked the Commission to present, before the end of 2005, “a policy plan on legal migration, including admission procedures capable of responding promptly to fluctuating demands for migrant labour in the labour market”. Read more: in English // in French

 

·      Portugal backs bid to put EU constitution back on track

The Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates has said that Portugal will take up the challenge of reviving the EU Constitution during its presidency in the second half of 2007, following announcements from Germany that it will do the same during its stint at the EU helm in the first half of that year. Read more

 

 

·      EUMC Newsletter, Issue 25, December 2005

This edition of the Newsletter presents the EUMC Annual Report 2005, a report of the EUMC European Round Table Conference on civil society cooperation, as well as information on developments in individual member states and at EU level. Download the newsletter (English only)

 

·      EUMC Equal Voices Magazine, Number 17, December 2005

This edition of Equal Voices is entitled “Religious communities in the European Union - Managing diversity, facilitating inter-religious dialogue and combating discrimination”. The general theme of the issue is on faith communities in the EU, discrimination against religious groups, and on good practice examples of inter-religious dialogue. Contributions include articles on anti-Semitism, islamophobia and discrimination against other faith communities in the EU, as well as a project on strengthening community cohesion between Muslims and non-Muslims in the city of Rotterdam. The magazine is available in an English print and electronic version, as well as selected articles in French and German electronic versions. Download or order paper copies from information@eumc.eu.int

 

·      Towards Common Measures for Discrimination: Exploring possibilities for combining existing data for measuring ethnic discrimination

“Common Measures for Discrimination” – a two-year project funded under the Community Action Programme to combat discrimination – has issued a new report on improving the measurement of discrimination by linking different sources of data together. The project aims to develop recommendations on how to measure ethnic discrimination in a way that is representative, comparable and allows for the description of trends. The 100-page report presents a general overview of how multiple data sources can be combined to deliver a clear and accurate picture of discrimination. Download the report (1.7 MB) - More information about the project: in English // in French

 

·      For Diversity - Against Discrimination: Promotion Cards

The campaign is producing promotion cards targeting young people to sensitise them to diversity and discrimination issues and to encourage them to inform themselves about what the EU is doing to combat discrimination. The cards show different media, such as a mobile phone, a TV and an MP 3 player and ask the observer to imagine a world with only one ring tone, only one TV programme or only one song. The text on the reverse has been written in a language that will appeal to young people. It refers them to the website where they can access more information about what the EU is doing to stamp out discrimination. The promotion cards, produced in 21 languages, will be distributed for free at diverse events targeting youth in 2006 in all EU Member States. See the promotion cards online (at present in English only)

 

·      PEER: Integration of ethnic minorities and immigrants

The EU officially recognizes immigrants and ethnic minorities as particularly vulnerable to the risks of social exclusion. Therefore they receive special attention in the designing of social inclusion programmes and were the subject of a number of peer reviews in 2004 and 2005. The website of the Peer Review Programme in the Field of Social Inclusion Policies now includes a section on the “Integration of ethnic minorities and immigrants”: in English // in French

 

·      Assimilation Policies and Outcomes: Travellers' Experience

Travellers have been the ‘objects’ of official policy since the early sixties. A key issue in shaping social policy and practice has been the way in which Travellers’ identity is conceptualised. This report on a research project commissioned by Pavee Point Travellers’ Centre illustrates the dichotomy between official policy and actual practice and illustrates the difficulties that Travellers encounter in trying to integrate into Irish society. Download (72 pages) or order the report from the Pavee website (Price: €10)

 

·      Fighting fascism, preserving democracy

This briefing paper is issue No 53 of the European Race Bulletin of the IRR (Institute of Race Relations, UK). It looks at the growth of racist and far-right parties in 17 EU countries, Norway and Switzerland. Building on recent research from the EUMC, the paper critiques government-led anti-fascist programmes, examines official responses to racist crimes and documents the ways in which the electoral campaigns of political parties are pandering to racism and extremism. Read more

 

·      Tell it like it is: How our schools fail Black Children

Over thirty years ago Grenadian scholar Bernard Coard caused a social and political storm with his seminal study How the West Indian Child is Made Educationally Subnormal in the British School System. The study exposed the plight of Black children in schools in Britain. And it fired the Supplementary Schools System and many of the antiracist and multicultural policies of the1970s and 80s. Three decades on British schools are still failing Black children. Tell It Like It Is reprints Coard’s classic text plus his new article on its relevance today. Alongside are essays and reflections from scholars, academics and activists that bring the debate about race and education firmly into the 21st century and indicate how we can move on to give Black children an equal chance in education. Read more and order (£6.99)

 

·      New calendar for 2006 now available

In 2006 you can have a diversity reminder every day – with the new calendar in the bright campaign colours. This year’s handy desk format provides ample space for you to include appointments and notes. You can order your personal free copy of the “For Diversity. Against Discrimination.” calendar at: calendars@stop-discrimination.info