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Wed, 17 May 2006
Cyprus and Racism
No comments needed. From Cyprus Mail: ‘Cyprus must do more to fight racism’
‘Cyprus must do more to fight racism’ THE LEGAL and institutional framework against racial discrimination has been considerably strengthened on the island over the last few years, but not enough is being done to integrate immigrants, making them particularly vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination.
That was the verdict of the Council of Europe's expert body on combating racism, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), which yesterday released a new report examining racism, xenophobia and intolerance in Cyprus.
It said the continuing lack of a comprehensive immigration and integration policy had resulted in a particular vulnerability of immigrants to human rights violations, exploitation and discrimination.
And it added that new opportunities for actively promoting dialogue and reconciliation between the members of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities “still remain to be seized”.
“This is important in order both to reduce the negative impact of the continuing division of the island on the relations between these communities and gain further support from the population as a whole for a solution to this division. Manifestations of prejudice and discrimination affecting Turkish Cypriots still need to be adequately recognised and dealt with.”
The report also said the position of other groups vulnerable to disadvantage, racism and racial discrimination, such as Roma and Pontian Greeks, needed to be addressed more effectively.
The new report forms part of a third monitoring cycle of Council of Europe member states' laws, policies and practices aimed at combating racism.
Since the publication of ECRI’s second report on Cyprus in 2001, progress has been made in a number of the fields highlighted in that report, including the adoption of primary anti-discrimination legislation, and the extension of the mandate and powers of the Commissioner for Administration to deal with racial discrimination.
The legal and institutional framework for the examination of international protection needs is now in place, it said, and police monitoring of racist incidents has been introduced.
The report also acknowledged that a number of important measures, including issuing of passports and other personal documents, had been taken to improve the position of Turkish Cypriots.
However, a number of recommendations made in ECRI’s second report have not been implemented, or have only been partially implemented. Asylum seekers experience similar problems to immigrants and are confronted with serious difficulties in exercising their rights. “The extensive use of detention under immigration powers in respect of both immigrants and asylum seekers and the conduct of law enforcement officials, which has included alleged cases of ill treatment, vis-?-vis these and other minority groups remain a matter of concern for ECRI in Cyprus.”
In the report, ECRI recommends that the Cypriot authorities take further action in a number of areas, including a comprehensive immigration and integration policy “respectful of the human rights of immigrants and the need to ensure that the rights of asylum seekers are thoroughly respected”. ECRI also recommends that the Cypriot authorities raise awareness and improve the implementation and monitoring of the legal framework in force against racism and racial discrimination, including by providing adequate support to the Commissioner for Administration.
Furthermore, in the report, ECRI addresses the need for a more proactive approach to developing contacts and good relations between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities and the need for education at all levels to increasingly reflect the needs of a culturally and ethnically diverse society.
With regard to citizenship legislation, ECRI recommends that the authorities ensure that the provisions on naturalisation are applied in all cases in a non-discriminatory manner. “The authorities also must do their utmost to ensure that the right of children to Cypriot nationality, as established by law, is thoroughly respected.”
Another recommendation is that the Cypriot authorities pay particular attention to combating racial discrimination in employment. It reiterates its call for initiatives to raise the awareness of the anti-discrimination legal provisions in force among workers, and notably those most exposed to the risk of being discriminated against. “ECRI recommends that the Cypriot authorities discontinue any practice consisting in requesting from people who apply for employment information relating to their religion that does not serve any legitimate purpose.”
n The full report is available on http://www.coe.int/ecr
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