Racism and discrimination in the Czech Republic 2009-2011

Roma and foreigners are the most vulnerable groups in the Czech Republic. The economic crisis together with a repressive and inadequate integration policy contributed to the increase in job losses amongst migrant workers. Many migrants´ immigration status is tied to a particular job and if they are let go, they can fall very quickly into illegality. In addition, there is still lack of an efficient state response to mediation job agencies which often abuse migrant workers when they are trying to obtain an entry visa or when they are in the country. In the Czech Republic (CR) they often control migrants through debts they had to take in order to be able to live and work in the CR. In the field of racial violence in the given period we saw a stronger and a more efficient response of the state to neo-Nazi movements both in regard to their criminal and political activities including the dismissal of the neo-Nazi Workers Party. A re-codified Penal Code came into force containing stronger provisions to combat hate crimes. In practice the most serious problem remains the weak position of victims of crime, including of hate crime, both in legislation and in practice. Furthermore, inadequate statistics on hate crimes is problematic. The situation of migrant workers in the given period was marked by the introduction of a controversial voluntary returns programme as well as problems of increasing number of migrants falling into illegality, unemployment and the worsening of the working conditions. The Supreme Administrative Court in Brno passed a decision to dissolve the Workers Party for, according to the statement of the court, defining itself in opposition to the Jewish, Roma and Vietnamese ethnicities/nationalities, as well as in opposition to homosexuals, immigrants, and people of other skin colours in general.