European Ethnic Minorities: Discrimination & Rights Awareness

Recently, The European Agency for Fundamental Rights, conducted a survey among 23,500 people from selected immigrant and ethnic minority groups in all 27 Member States of the European Union. The purpose of the survey was to gauge the respondent’s feelings on personal experiences of discrimination and racial profiling. Much of the study focused on the Roma, who as a group experience significant discrimination within the EU.

The results of the survey were originally presented in 2009 at the Fundamental Rights Conference. Throughout 2010, the results were re-released in reports on key issues, such as Police Stops. The subject matters vary and more details can be found here: http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/eu-midis/index_en.htm.

Focusing on the Belgian experience, the report found:

“In Belgium, 85% of majority population respondents found the police respectful during their last police stop, compared to 42% of North African and 55% of Turkish respondents.”

Furthermore, it was overwhelmingly common that the minorities discriminated against were not likely to report their experiences. This also reaffirmed the reality that victims of discrimination were unlikely to report their situations, not aware of their right to file a complaint.

All of the outputs can be found at the above link.

While this is a different platform, the findings can easily mirror the situations in Canada. It seems that many cases of discrimination are left unreported as many are unaware of the methods to raise a complaint, unaware of their rights, and may be afraid to raise an issue against a powerful institution like the police.

How can we remedy such experiences and concerns? In this study, some solutions put forward were to encourage those who suffer to raise complaints, provide them access, and give them the sufficient tools to properly report. These are ambitious and beneficial goals which are within the scope of LEAP’s numerous projects including our partnership with Windsor Law’s Community Legal Aid Clinic.

What sorts of remedies would you bring forward? How effective would you expect them to be?

Lindsay Traves
(Windsor Law I)

UN report critical of Canada's lack of attention to discrimination including racial profiling

A preliminary report compiled by Gay McDougall, the United Nation’s independent expert on minority issues, reveals that religious and ethnic minorities in Canada continue to experience discrimination in a number of key areas, including access to housing, employment, education, policing, justice and political participation.

McDougall spent 10 days touring Canada, meeting and speaking with minority groups about the obstacles they face in their everyday lives. McDougall concluded that although the federal and provincial governments have instituted “well-intentioned” policies, enforcement and implementation remain serious barriers to true inclusivity.

Key issues addressed in McDougall’s report include the failure of the federal, provincial and territorial governments to provide minority communities with equal access to housing, education, justice and political participation. McDougall also highlights the frustration that new immigrants feel when they are unable to use their foreign education credentials to obtain employment in their fields of expertise. Immigrant parents also reported concerns that school curricula do not accommodate different cultural backgrounds.

McDougall’s report also focused on alleged incidents of racial profiling and police brutality in a number of communities, including Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and Montreal North. Minorities in these neighbourhoods reported feelings of distrust towards the police and a general lack of faith in the justice system.

McDougall’s report, which will be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council, recommends that Canada refrain from using labels like “visible minorities” and instead seek to adopt terminology that will help reflect the vast diversity among minority groups and combat governmental discrimination.

While Canada portrays itself as one of the most multicultural nations in the world, it is evident from McDougall’s findings that it is time for Canadians to cast their glance inwards and consider what we can do to truly live up to our reputation as culturally conscious global citizens.

Posted by Claire Doughty (Law II)