EU equality body says 29% of Africans experience racial threat in Malta in 2009
European Agency for Fundamental Rights says Malta does not yet provide equality body that fights racial discrimination
The EU’s equality body, the agency for fundamental rights (FRA), has found deteriorating conditions in centres of irregular migrants and asylum seekers were still a major source of concern in Malta in 2009.
The annual report, published earlier this month, quoted concerns by Médecins Sans Frontières in a critical briefing paper it issued on the conditions in detention centres for undocumented migrants and asylum seekers in Malta.
The FRA said that while EU Member States are under an obligation to establish Equality Bodies in accordance with Article 13 of the Racial Equality Directive – something which, by the end of 2009, Poland still had not done and which Malta did not appear to have done in full – the degree of independence and the resources at the disposal of these bodies varies considerably across the EU.
The FRA said that the European Commission, being responsible for ensuring correct implementation of the Directive by Member States, has sent “reasoned opinions” to about two thirds of the Member States, indicating that transposition of the Directive was unsatisfactory.
A lack of adequate human and financial resources is a major problem for the equality body in a majority of countries, including Malta’s, where the Equality Body does not have jurisdiction to act in relation to racial discrimination in employment
Findings for specific groups in Member States indicate that 29% of Africans in Malta considered that they were a victim of ‘racially motivated’ assault, threat or serious harassment in the last 12 months. Similar rates were experienced by Roma in the Czech Republic (32%); Somalis in Finland (32%); Somalis in Denmark (31%); and 26% of Roma in Greece, Roma in Poland and Sub-Saharan Africans in Ireland.
Discrimination on religious grounds was reported in some Member States. Practices likely to lead to stigmatisation of the pupils concerned were reported in Malta, where children from ethnic minorities were offered the same remedial educational support as pupils with disabilities.
The FRA also said that Malta does not make available general information on the healthcare system in foreign languages.
