Publications | i-RED

EU Youth Report 2012

Ανδρομάχη Παπαιωάνου — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 20:49:25 GMT

The 2012 EU Youth Report summarises the results of the first work cycle of the EU Youth Strategy (2010-2012) and proposes priorities for the next 3 years. It presents statistics on how the financial crisis has affected the situation of young people in the EU. The next EU Youth Report will be published in 2015.

Working with Young People: The value of youth work in the European Union

Ανδρομάχη Παπαιωάνου — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 20:13:37 GMT

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

A new study on youth work: making a difference for young people in Europe

EU-wide study brings together existing evidence to facilitate the understanding and appreciation of youth work.

A new study has been published, providing information about the value of youth work, and how it results in a range of positive outcomes for young people, enabling them to:

develop skills and competences,
strengthen their network and social capital, and
change particular behaviours.

Beyond the individual level outcomes, youth work is an important component of our social fabric, offering a space for contact, exchange, and engagement between young people, as well as between generations.

The study analyses the specific situation of the 28 EU Member States, highlighting the situation of youth work and its contribution to the well-being and development of young people.

Various actors and organisations are delivering youth work in Europe, such as youth clubs, youth centres and youth associations. In addition to street workers' activities, youth workers are providing support within schools, libraries or hospitals.

Despite this diversity, youth work has common core features; it focuses on young people, their personal development, and participation is voluntary.

PRESS RELEASE: EU's external migration policy: a bolder approach

Ανδρομάχη Παπαιωάνου — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 19:59:21 GMT

What progress has been made to better manage migration flows and promote mobility in a secure environment?In a report adopted today the Commission looks at the main developments within the EU's external migration policy in 2012 and 2013. Two years after the launch of the renewed Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM) important achievements in strengthening dialogue and cooperation are reported, while recognizing that more should be done to make further progress.

Efforts to address the realities of an increasing international mobility must match the needs and priorities of all stakeholders. This requires a better use of existing tools, such as Mobility Partnerships and common visa rules. There is also a need to reinforce the participation of EU Member States where possible when implementing EU policies.

"Well-managed migration can be truly beneficial for everybody involved, migrants and countries alike. Our success largely depends on our dialogue and cooperation with non-EU countries and international organisations. Mobility Partnerships, visa facilitation coupled with readmission agreements and the common visa rules remain important policy instruments. But we should do even more to secure economic growth and competitiveness and to address jointly with non-EU countries the downsides of migration, such as trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants", said Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmström.

The Mobility Partnerships have proven to be useful tools for addressing migration and asylum issues in a mutually beneficial way. They establish a set of political objectives and provide a structure for discussions and cooperation. So far, Mobility Partnerships have been concluded with six countries: Moldova (2008), Cape Verde (2008), Georgia (2009), Armenia (2011), Morocco (2013) and Azerbaijan (2013). Discussions on a Mobility Partnership with Tunisia have been concluded (November 2013) and its signing is imminent. Furthermore, discussions have begun with Jordan (December 2013).

Altogether, in the period from 2012-2013, the Commission has supported more than 90 migration-related projects with more than € 200 million in all regions of the developing world. In addition, EU Member States have invested further financial resources to the implementation of the GAMM.

More work should also be done with regard to refugee protection and human rights. For instance, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) could play a greater role in improving asylum and reception capacities in non-EU countries, including within the framework of Mobility Partnerships. There is also room to improve the use of Regional Protection Programmes, in particular through longer-term engagement and funding.

Better coordination of resettlement activities at EU level and amongst Member States would allow for more efficient and quicker responses to crisis situations. Increased EU funding should also be available to support more resettlement/humanitarian admission places under the new Asylum and Migration Fund (2014-2020).

Taking the GAMM to the next level

The existing external migration and asylum policy and tools could however be better exploited, including to enhance the attractiveness of the EU and strengthen its economy.

The issue of labour migration will become even more prominent in the coming years and the role of the Mobility Partnerships could be emphasised in this regard (e.g. by facilitating the exchange of students or professionals, enhancing migration management capacities in non-EU countries, introducing circular migration programmes, strengthening social protection of legal migrants, addressing where appropriate portability of social rights, etc.).

Facilitating the issuance of short-term visas can produce positive effects for development in non-EU countries such as improving business opportunities and trade ties with the EU, and strengthening people-to-people contacts. Furthermore, the potential offered by the EU visa policy should be used to the fullest to foster economic growth and cultural exchanges. In the coming weeks, the Commission will propose amendments to the Visa Code to further facilitate travel of legitimate travellers while ensuring a high level of security of the EU.

Cooperation on prevention and combatting irregular migration has deepened in recent years. Dialogues, exchange of information and joint actions to fight trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants have been initiated and implemented. Further initiatives are foreseen, as already announced in the report of the Task Force Mediterranean.

Background

The Global Approach to Migration and Mobility (GAMM) is, since 2005, the overarching framework of the EU external migration and asylum policy and defines how the EU conducts its political dialogue and operational cooperation with non-EU countries. It is based on clearly defined priorities which reflect the strategic objectives of the EU, and is embedded in the EU’s overall foreign policy, including development cooperation.

The GAMM aims to foster the dialogue and cooperation with non-EU partner countries in four areas: better organising legal migration and fostering well-managed mobility; preventing and combating irregular migration and eradicating trafficking in human beings; maximising the development impact of migration; and promoting international protection and enhancing the external dimension of asylum.

The GAMM is implemented through regional and bilateral policy dialogues (with policy tools such as Mobility Partnerships); legal instruments such as visa facilitation and readmission agreements; operational support and capacity building; as well as a wide range of programme and project support (available to numerous stakeholders, including civil society, migrant associations and international organisations).

Contacts :

Michele Cercone (+32 2 298 09 63)

Tove Ernst (+32 2 298 67 64)

EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child

Ανδρομάχη Παπαιωάνου — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 19:36:47 GMT

The EU’s commitment to protecting children is underlined in the EU Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child.

ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ: Σχετικά με τον Κώδικα Μετανάστευσης και Κοινωνικής Ένταξης

Ανδρομάχη Παπαιωάνου — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 17:00:41 GMT

ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ

Σχετικά με τον Κώδικα Μετανάστευσης και Κοινωνικής Ένταξης

Ο Κώδικας Μετανάστευσης και Κοινωνικής Ένταξης ο οποίος ενοποιεί την έως τώρα υπάρχουσα νομοθεσία πρόκειται να κατατεθεί στη Βουλή στις 11 Μαρτίου.

Παρόλο που με τoν εν λόγω Κώδικα γίνεται μια προσπάθεια επίλυσης αναχρονιστικών ζητημάτων που αντιμετώπισαν οι αλλοδαποί και οι αλλογενείς στην Ελλάδα, η απουσία ολιστικής προσέγγισης και επίλυσης των ζητημάτων αυτών είναι έκδηλη. Εισάγει μερικές καινοτομίες (επέκταση της επί μακρόν για τη δεύτερη γενιά και στα παιδιά που πήγαν σχολείο στην Ελλάδα), διευκολύνει (ορισμένες μόνο) διαδικασίες (μείωση εισοδηματικών κριτηρίων για επί μακρόν και κατάργηση για οικογενειακή επανένωση, χρήση βιβλιαρίου υγείας για επαναφορά στη νομιμότητα συγκεκριμένων κατηγοριών μεταναστών) και μπορεί να βελτιωθεί σημαντικά με τροποποιήσεις.

Λαμβάνοντας υπόψη τις ευαίσθητες πολιτικές ισορροπίες στη χώρα τη δεδομένη χρονική στιγμή αλλά και τις γενικότερες συνθήκες στην Ευρώπη, όπως και το γεγονός ότι η επίλυση των προβλημάτων των μεταναστών που ζουν και εργάζονται στην Ελλάδα είναι επιτακτική ανάγκη, υποστηρίζουμε τις προσπάθειες που γίνονται προς αυτή τη κατεύθυνση. Ωστόσο, θα υπενθυμίζουμε σε κάθε ευκαιρία ότι ο συγκεκριμένος Κώδικας δεν περιλαμβάνει ολιστικές αλλαγές που θα συνέβαλλαν στην εξασφάλιση επίλυσης προβλημάτων όλων των κατηγοριών των μεταναστών. Και ιδιαίτερα της ευαίσθητης και σημαντικής κατηγορίας των νέων που γεννήθηκαν και μεγάλωσαν στην Ελλάδα στους οποίους στερείται ακόμα το δικαίωμα στη ιθαγένεια. Θα περιμένουμε στο μέλλον νομοθετικές πρωτοβουλίες –όπως δεσμεύτηκε και ο ίδιος ο Υπουργός- προς αυτή τη κατεύθυνση.

generation 2.0/i-RED

One year after Utoya in a troubled Europe: Chimeras and Erinyes

Miltos Pavlou — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 06:09:33 GMT

Miltos Pavlou of i-RED gives his own bleak assessment of the current political context in Europe, based on xenophobic and racist attitudes taking place recently in Greece, France and Norway, among others. He focuses on increasing hate speech and crimes against minorities, and on the unfulfilled promises of an inclusive Europe. This raises attention to the need to be cautious of passive acceptance of ‘othering’ techniques used by some to maintain hierarchies and positions of power.

RAXEN - Human rights issues and debates during the 2009 EU Parliament election campaign

Miltos Pavlou — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:15:24 GMT

Overview

[1]. In Greece the issues of racism, xenophobia, related acts of intolerance and other relevant human rights issues had never been in the focus of the debates during election campaigns. Despite the volume of migration inflows in Greece, the issue has never even been raised by the political leaders during the debates of the past national elections (1993, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2007). The only exception was the 2007 leaders’ debate, when only the far-right political party leader introduced the issue of migration with xenophobic terms.

[2]. This changed with the 2009 EU election. In a spectacular shift of public discussion, the issue of irregular migration gained major attention by national and local media during the election campaign. Nonetheless, the public debate did not focus on human rights issues of migrants and refugees. Instead, it developed around negative stance towards migrants and intolerance of their presence in Greece.

[3]. The main actors contributing to this shift were the media representatives and the far-right political party of LA.O.S. In some cases media publications in major quality newspapers (especially Kathimerini and To Vima) or freesheets were blatantly intolerant and xenophobic using traditional wording of racist inspiration. It is significant that the free tabloid ‘City Press’ published very often numerous articles on the degradation of the city of Athens and on migration debate in general, devoting regularly publication space despite the very small number of its pages containing news and actuality. These actors managed to turn the media attention to migration while fomenting related intolerance. As some put it the far-right wing political party achieved an ‘ideological-political hegemony’ over the election debate as made clear from the post-election period and developments. LAOS gained high percentages in the elections 2009 and there is widespread public acceptance of its xenophobic arguments and rhetoric. A far-right extra parliamentary political group, Chryssi Avgi (‘Golden Dawn’) doubled its popular vote at the euro-elections. As such, public debates of intolerance and xenophobia had a significant impact on the outcome of the election, by benefiting the far-right political party which promoted such discourse.

[...]

[7]. The issues brought forward mostly by LAOS and media, had a major impact on the outcome of the election. This however became clear just after the election since the post-election period was marked by the continuous predominance of xenophobic debates on migrants and ghettos in the media and the central political and public sphere. In a very short period of time, the government undertook a number of strict and controversial legislative initiatives and administrative measures regarding, or allegedly violating human rights of migrants and refugees, under the pressure of the LAOS electoral success due to its blatantly xenophobic and anti-migrant discourse. LAOS achieved high percentages in the downgraded areas of Athens, where the so-called migrant ghettos were created (Aghios Panteleimonas Aharnon).

[8]. Similarly, the political parties (mostly the left coalition SYRIZA) which most supported migrants during the pre-election period suffered from decreasing percentages and electoral power.

[9]. The starting point of all relevant public debates which became more or less central during the election campaign was the increased inflow of undocumented migrants mostly from Middle-East countries (Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan). In 2008, the number of incoming migrants through the sea borders of Greece amounted to 146.000 persons.Opinion polls and surveys implemented during this period have shown that Greek citizens are afraid of crime, and in their overwhelming majority they attribute the alleged rise of criminality to the increased presence of migrants in Greece. This is consistent with the findings of this report, which show the contemporary creation of a media-driven ‘crime-wave’ at the expenses of migrants. Additionally, for the first time, a serious Islamophobic incident has been recorded in Greece. The tearing apart of the Koran by a police officer during a control after stopping a Muslim migrant was followed by Muslims’ protests in Athens and by public discourse about cultural conflict and incompatibility of Islam and Muslim migrants with the Greek culture. The related intolerance and xenophobia fed into the discussion about the presumably overburdening high numbers of Muslim migrants, and provided an additional argument in favour of the reactions and of the presumed consequent need to remove them violently from the Athens areas they reside in.

[10]. Finally, it is noteworthy that the political context of spring 2009 which introduced the pre-election period was marked by heavy economic and political crisis, low popularity of the government and negative polls against its general policies. In the same period, a legislative proposal for a citizenship code presented by the Hellenic League for Human Rights was introducing jus soli for children of migrants born in Greece, and received a rather positive welcome by political and social actors and stakeholders. A citizenship legislation reform would transform a significant number of migrants to full rights’ citizens and voters, bringing a major change in the Greek political arena.

[11]. In the post-election period instead the main political debate remained focused on the issue of migration dealt as a major ‘problem’ and on the presumed need to expel large numbers of irregular migrants. The operations of police arrests and mass evacuation of migrants from the centre of Athens are considered in the public debates as measures to improve the image of the capital and of the islands, and therefore to support the suffering tourism industry. July 2009 found the legislative framework of Greece amended in more strict terms concerning asylum and migration. Controversial new provisions abolish second instance examination of asylum applications, while they allow 18 month administrative detention and expulsion of migrants if penal action is started against them, even for petty misdemeanours. No initiative is undertaken or announced regarding citizenship code reform.

Abused and Expelled: Ill-Treatment of Sub-Saharan African Migrants in Morocco

Ανδρομάχη Παπαιωάνου — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:03:09 GMT

Abused and Expelled: Ill-Treatment of Sub-Saharan African Migrants in Morocco

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2014/02/10/abused-and-expelled

Choice and control: the right to independent living

Miltos Pavlou — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:04:06 GMT

Choice and control: the right to independent living

07/06/2012 - June 2012

This report examines how persons with intellectual disabilities and persons with mental health problems in nine EU Member States experience autonomy, inclusion and participation in their lives.

Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities establishes the right to live independently and be included in the community. Drawing on the findings of interview-based research with persons with mental health problems and persons with intellectual disabilities, this report examines how they experience the principles of autonomy, inclusion and participation in their day-to-day lives.

The results show that although much has been done, more efforts are needed to ensure that persons with mental health problems and persons with intellectual disabilities have more choice and control over their lives and are included in the community on an equal basis with others. Most efforts to date have focused on deinstitutionalisation, but to achieve true independent living they should be accompanied by a range of social policy reforms in the areas of education, healthcare, employment, culture and support services. Key initiatives in policy, law and practice, identified in this report, can facilitate progress towards realising the right to independent living of persons with disabilities throughout the European Union.

Document(s)

(Report) Choice and control: The right to independent living (PDF File 19884 KB)

Involuntary placement and involuntary treatment of persons with mental health problems

Miltos Pavlou — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:04:06 GMT

Involuntary placement and involuntary treatment of persons with mental health problems

07/06/2012 - June 2012

This report, based on fieldwork in nine EU Member States, summarises the experiences of involuntary placement and involuntary treatment of persons with mental health problems.

Involuntary placement and involuntary treatment of persons with mental health problems affects the most fundamental of rights, including the right to liberty and the right to freedom from torture. Strict safeguards at United Nations and European level attempt to limit undue interference with such rights. The legal approach to this field is evolving rapidly, driven in part by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), to which the European Union (EU) and 20 EU Member States have acceded and all Member States have signed. Far more than a repackaging of existing rights, the CRPD represents a sea-change, a move from a charity-based to a rights-based approach characterised by non-discrimination, autonomy and inclusion.

This report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) analyses the shifting legal panorama and, informed by fieldwork in nine EU Member States on the actual experiences of those involuntarily placed and treated and other stakeholders, points to the need for a renewed discussion of compulsory placement and treatment in the EU.

Document(s)

(Report) Involuntary placement and involuntary treatment of persons with mental health problems (PDF File 559 KB)
(Factsheet) Involuntary placement and involuntary treatment of persons with mental health problems (PDF File 124 KB)

Racism, discrimination, intolerance and extremism: learning from experiences in Greece and Hungary

Ανδρομάχη Παπαιωάνου — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 07:55:45 GMT

Racism, discrimination, intolerance and extremism: learning from experiences in Greece and Hungary

Crimes motivated by racism, xenophobia and related intolerances, the mainstreaming of elements of extremist ideology in political and public discourse, and ethnic discrimination all persist throughout the European Union. Growing alarm has been expressed at the national, EU and international levels with regard to manifestations of violent racism and other forms of intolerance especially in two EU Member States: Greece and Hungary. An additional important concern is the substantial parliamentary representation of parties that use paramilitary tactics or are closely associated with paramilitary groups and use extremist rhetoric to target irregular migrants in Greece, and the Roma and Jews in Hungary.

In this context, FRA took the initiative to collect data and compile the present thematic situation report. It examines the effectiveness of responses by public authorities, statutory human rights bodies, and civil society organisations to racism, discrimination, intolerance and extremism in these two EU Member States.

Despite the fact that this report focuses on two countries, the identification of barriers to counter such phenomena is of relevance to the EU as a whole. The proposals contained in the report on issues such as tackling racist and related crime, increasing trust in the police, and countering extremism could therefore be considered for use in all EU Member States.

http://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2013/racism-discrimination-intolerance-and-extremism-learning-experiences-greece-and

i-RED Annual Activity Report 2011

Miltos Pavlou — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 09:32:42 GMT

FOREWORD

In the fourth year of operation i-RED entered a new phase of research and intervention. A notable number of research products performed in the past years by i-RED were published in 2011. Research topics ranged from racism and xenophobia to unaccompanied minors and diversity in the workplace.

An unprecedented acute financial crisis has hit for the third consecutive year Greece and Europe leading to negative stereotyping, widespread xenophobic and hate speech, while physical racist violence has been more frequent and more dangerous, organised by extremist groups, but tolerated by the police and majority.

Most and foremost, in 2011 we were honoured to lead and to launch, the RED Network Combating Racism & Xenophobia through EU co-funding and with the efforts of 18 organisations in 17 Member States. Since early 2011 the RED Network has been working hard on the RED Early Warning System and Atlas of Racism and Discrimination, to go public on the RED portal by March 2012.

A series of key RAXEN reports (by HLHR-KEMO/i-RED) were published in 2011. They do represent a wide range of reporting activity in Greece on issues of racism, and discrimination against minorities and the situation regarding equality and integration.

A new website for i-RED offered us the capacity of dealing with more information and providing more interesting and user friendly interface for the research, the events and the work of i-RED and of important EU bodies and international institutions.

As each year, i-RED has made efforts in promoting at EU level, research and policies on fundamental rights, through networking, supporting migrants and minorities and through public intervention and communication.

This is one more Annual Report published in times of heavy economic crisis in Greece in a situation where the latter brings down decades of social rights as breaking through a glass door and leads to serious threats of social implosion, rupture of social cohesion, clashes and loss of political and democratic orientation to the respect of human rights. The increase of racist violence, as well as of the widespread and diffused aggressive xenophobic and anit-migrant/anti-minority hate speech, constitute the fertile ground for the rapid rise of violent far-right wing groups and representatives into the centre of the political arena and threaten the very democratic debate and confrontation based on reliable scientific and factual data and documented arguments. This occurs In a vacuum of rights’ oriented policies and solutions to the serious economic and political shortcomings, urging us to an even more demanding research and public intervention role.

Once more i-RED affirms its committment to contribute reliable and documented research findings to the public sphere and therefore to promote productive and inclusive societies which are based on knowledge and reliable information, mutual respect and solidarity and have no fear for the future.

RED Annual Report 2011 - The rise of far-right extremism, hate crime and xenophobia in Europe

Miltos Pavlou — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 11:46:38 GMT

The rise of far-right extremism, hate crime and xenophobia in Europe

In times of unprecedented social, political and economic crisis of the last 70 years, acute racist hate
crimes and attitudes in Europe constitute major threats to social cohesion and equality. The developments
regarding the diffusion of stereotypes, hate speech and political discourse of generalisations risk to
inflame an already explosive landscape of intolerance, xenophobia and discrimination.

The acute economic crisis and the collapse of the European social model threaten to render stereotypes,
demonisation, hate and intolerance against minorities widespread and commonly accepted by a wide
range of social subjects and in the public sphere. Such phenomena seriously endanger the social cohesion
and democratic living together of imploding local and national societies under the weight of an unravelling
and devastating economic crisis and fear.
In this landscape, the RED Network has developed and publishes today the RED Early Warning System
and The Atlas of Racism, Equality and Discrimination, a unique monitoring on line tool that is powerful,
empowering and independent. It is highly interactive, visual and customizable to the needs of the user.
This effort started in 2010 and was co-funded by the EU in 2011. It is a design initiated by the Greek
Institute for Rights Equality & Diversity (i-RED) and co-developed by 17 research partners in 17 member
states of the RED Network. The work of 50+ experts in these EU countries stands behind the on line RED
portal and its significant amount of information and content. Despite this being a collective effort, at this
first implementation of the RED System, at the end of the day each one of the national partners –
specialist research institutions in each country - is responsible for the information input regarding their
own national context.

We believe in the power and the potential of RED Early Warning System and the Atlas of Racism, Equality
& Discrimination and we hope that it will help improve monitoring and reporting on racism and
discrimination in EU countries, while providing the tools for raising awareness and knowledge on the real
and effective situation on these phenomena in our continent.

Human rights of Roma and Travellers in Europe

Miltos Pavlou — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:19:16 GMT

Human Rights of Roma and Travellers in Europe

http://www.humanrightseurope.org: Hammarberg publishes 47 country report on Roma and Travellers

Blatant racism continues to blight the life of Europe’s Roma people, who remain far behind other communities, according to a new report published today.

The 47 state, 254 page survey confirms that Roma and Travellers are still denied basic human rights. They remain far behind others in education, employment, access to decent housing and health. Their average life span is shorter and infant mortality rates are higher compared to other groups.

“I hope the report will encourage a constructive discussion about policies towards Roma and Travellers in Europe, focusing on what must be done in order to put an end to the discrimination and marginalisation they suffer and to foster their social inclusion,” said the Commissioner for Human Rights, releasing the report ‘Human rights of Roma and Travellers in Europe.’

Hammarberg also recommends that truth commissions be created – ideally as a Europe-wide undertaking – to establish the historical facts concerning the atrocities committed against the Roma people.

The report is the first overview of the human rights situation of Roma and Travellers in all 47 member states of the Council of Europe. The Roma and related minority communities constitute Europe’s largest and most vulnerable minority.

Hammarberg’s report reveals that anti-Gypsyism continues to be widespread. Public leaders, media, and extremist groups who are active on the Internet have overly singled-out Roma and Travellers for hate speech. In some cases, these words have been understood as encouraging violent action.

“This feeds the cycle of disadvantage, exclusion, segregation and marginalisation,” he declares.

The thematic report focuses on anti-Gypsyism, racially motivated violence, conduct of law enforcement and judicial authorities, forced sterilisations, removal of children from the care of their biological parents, economic and social rights, statelessness and freedom of movement.

Hammarberg states: “The problem of statelessness and lack of personal documentation for thousands of Roma in Europe is one of the issues which must be urgently addressed with determination, as these persons are deprived of basic rights such as education, healthcare, social assistance and the right to vote.”

The commissioner proposes measures to be taken by governments to bring an end to the discrimination. These include the provision of targeted training to the police to prevent misconduct, desegregating schools and improving the quality of education received by Roma and Traveller children.

The Essential

Video: Thomas Hammarberg discusses his report on Roma

Report: Human rights of Roma and Travellers in Europe

Image: Hammarberg report front cover

Information: The Commissioner for Human Rights thematic file

Fact Sheet: European Court of Human Rights on Roma and Travellers

News: Roma people on HRE

Video: Roma mediators

Podcast: Roma youth conference – The momentum for change

Podcast: Live from the Mayors’ Summit on Roma

The Racial Equality Directive

Miltos Pavlou — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:31:13 GMT

The Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC) is the key piece of EU legislation for combating discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin and for giving effect to the principle of equal treatment.

The directive, adopted a decade ago, has brought about the introduction of new or the strengthening of existing legal frameworks. Although significant progress has been made towards the realisation of racial and ethnic equality, several challenges remain to be overcome. The present report discusses the application of the Racial Equality Directive through the laws and practices in the 27 EU Member States.

In doing so, it explores the challenges to the effective realisation of the directive's goals and in conclusion discusses how such obstacles might be overcome.Document(s)

Synthesis Report: The Racial Equality Directive: application and challenges (PDF File 190 KB)
Factsheet: Combating racial discrimination (PDF File 604 KB)

Council of Europe anti-torture Committee report on Greece and response of the Greek Government

Miltos Pavlou — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:22:12 GMT

Strasbourg, 10.1.2012 – The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has published today the report on its ad hoc visit to Greece in January 2011, together with the response of the Greek Government. These documents have been made public at the request of the Greek authorities.

The 2011 ad hoc visit was carried out to assess the concrete steps taken by the Greek authorities to implement long-standing recommendations made by the CPT, in particular those contained in the reports on the Committee’s visits of September 2005, February 2007, September 2008 and September 2009.

In the course of the visit, the CPT’s delegation reviewed the treatment and conditions of detention of migrants held in aliens detention centres and in police and border guard stations, particularly in the Attica and Evros regions. The delegation also examined in depth the situation in several prison establishments, including the provision of health care and the regime offered to inmates.

In the light of the findings made during the visit, the CPT issued a public statement on 15 March 2011 as regards the treatment and conditions of detention of irregular migrants and in respect of the state of the prison system. The report published today provides greater detail on the findings during the 2011 ad hoc visit in relation to these two issues, and puts forward a series of recommendations aimed at improving the situation. The treatment of criminal suspects detained by the police is also addressed.

In their detailed response to the CPT’s visit report, the Greek authorities demonstrate their willingness to cooperate with the Committee in order to improve the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty in Greece. The response provides information on the measures being taken to address the concerns raised by the Committee, notwithstanding the very difficult economic situation faced by the country.

The CPT’s visit report and the response of the Greek Government are available in English on the CPT’s website: http://www.cpt.coe.int

Human rights and a changing media landscape

Miltos Pavlou — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:21:24 GMT

Ahead of human rights day (10 December 2011), Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, launched the publication Human rights and a changing media landscape at a press conference in London, hosted by ARTICLE 19, on Thursday 8 December 2011.

“The defence of all human rights depends on media freedom and pluralism. This makes it urgent to counter government restrictions and monopoly tendencies,” said Thomas Hammarberg at the launch.

The Commissioner invited eight experts to give their personal assessments of six topics and how they relate to human rights: social media; protection of journalists from violence; ethical journalism; access to official documents; public service media; and media pluralism.

In his foreword Thomas Hammarberg highlights the role media plays in exposing human rights violations and in offering an arena for different voices to be heard in public discourse. He argues that public service broadcasting is important to ensure media pluralism and counteract monopolies. He also underlines that every case of violence or threats against a journalist must be promptly and seriously investigated – impunity encourages further murders and has a chilling effect on public debate.

“I hope this book will serve as a spotlight on current challenges. There is a strong need for a serious public debate on media developments and their impact on human rights”, said the Commissioner.

Transition Report 2011

Miltos Pavlou — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:29:07 GMT

This Transition Report is once again concerned with the themes of crisis and transition. Like its two predecessors, the "Transition in Crisis?" (2009) and "Recovery and Reform" (2010), this report focuses on understanding both the 2008-10 crisis and its longer-term implications. It looks beyond the crisis for sources of growth that are less sensitive to changes in the external environment than the capital-inflow driven boom of the pre-crisis years. But it does so from a fresh perspective: that of households and individuals, based on a new round of the EBRD – World Bank Life in Transition Survey (LiTS), conducted in late 2010.

Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising

Miltos Pavlou — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 07:10:55 GMT

In the three decades to the recent economic downturn, wage gaps widened and household income inequality increased in a large majority of OECD countries. This occurred even when countries were going through a period of sustained economic and employment growth. This report analyses the major underlying forces behind these developments. It examines to which extent economic globalisation, skill-biased technological progress and institutional and regulatory reforms have had an impact on the distribution of earnings. The report further provides evidence of how changes in family formation and household structures have altered household earnings and income inequality. And it documents how tax and benefit systems have changed in the ways they redistribute household incomes. The report discusses which policies are most promising to counter increases in inequalities and how the policy mix can be adjusted when public budgets are under strain.

- An Overview of Growing Income Inequalities in OECD Countries (free .pdf)

- Special Focus: Inequality in Emerging Economies (free .pdf)

- Part I. How Globalisation, Technological Change and Policies Affect Wage and Earnings Inequalities

- Part II. How Inequalities in Labour Earnings Lead to Inequalities in Household Disposable Income

- Part III. How the Roles of Tax and Transfer Systems Have Changed

The OECD Report web page

Frontex RABIT Operation 2010

Miltos Pavlou — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:29:13 GMT

The Frontex Evaluation Report on the deployment of Rapid Border Intervention Teams (RABITs) to the Greek-Turkish land border in 2010.

Joint Operation RABIT 2010 was the first deployment of its type and its evaluation is a crucial element in maintaining Frontex’s preparedness for rapid response to emergency situations at the EU’s external borders. The scale and speed of the deployment — in terms of both human and technical resources — was unprecedented in the Agency’s history. Experts in such areas as false-document detection, clandestine entry, dog handling, first- and second-line border checks and stolen vehicle detection, as well as specialist interviewers, de-briefers and linguists, were made available and dispatched by 26 Member States and Schengen-Associated Countries (SACs) during the four-month deployment, representing a total of 576 officers working around 19,000 man-days during the four-month operational period.

From ekathimerini.gr:

Frontex 'reconsidering' Evros operation

Failure of Greek authorities to set up migrant reception centers is jeopardizing mission

Officials of the European Union’s border monitoring agency Frontex are becoming increasingly frustrated with the failure of Greek authorities to contribute to their illegal immigration crackdown efforts at the Turkish border and are considering suspending the operation, Skai understands.

According to the agency’s executive director, Ilkka Laitinen, EU member states that have been contributing to a Frontex operation in the border region of Evros with manpower and equipment are becoming reluctant to continue their efforts as Greek authorities have failed to set up new migrant detention centers as promised.

A report issued by the agency showed that detentions at the Greek-Turkish land border increased by 20 percent in October compared to the same month last year. A statement issued by Frontex referred to “an absolute monthly record of 9,600 illegal border crossings.” “Average detections were over 300 irregular migrants crossing that border on a daily basis,” it said. The agency attributed the “dramatic development” to a combination of factors including the absence of sufficient detention facilities both in Greece and Turkey and the lack of adequate agreements for the readmission of immigrants from specific countries of origin.