Our member Skåne Stadsmission, part of the City mission in Sweden is currently running a project to tackle hate crime against Roma people in Malmo and is looking to exchange best practices and common challenges with other Eurodiaconia members.
Roma people are the largest minority and one of the most exposed to racism in Europe. If ethnicity is combined with poverty and begging, as one of the components of this racism, the hatred of others towards them takes on another dimension.
The crimes motivated by this hatred are the direct and most visible result of this racism; it is somewhat, the unit of measurement for anti-Gypsyism.
Over the period 2019 – 2020, Skåne Stadsmission and Civil Rights Defenders will be implementing an EU-funded project with the aim of combating hate crime directed towards vulnerable EU-citizens of Roma origin living on the streets of Malmö.
The main objectives of the project are to:
- Map and respond to prejudices and stereotypes that often underpin hate crime against Roma migrant
- Actively support vulnerable individuals before and during the legal process
- Improve the vulnerable groups’ knowledge of their rights through outreach activities
- Increase the number of people reporting hate crimes and the level of trust they have in the justice system
- Increase the level of awareness, amongst authorities and the public, of the vulnerability of Roma EU-migrants to hate crim
- Establish effective collaborations with the police and judicial system on the issue of anti-Roma hate crim
Many Eurodiaconia members are facing similar challenges in their daily work with Roma communities. Many of the tools developed by Skåne Stadsmission’s project can be easily used by any organisation supporting victims of hate crime, regardless of the aim and objectives of their projects.
Skåne Stadsmission would be more than happy to share its tools and knowledge with any interested Eurodiaconia member. You are welcome to contact our member at hatbrott@skanestadsmission.se or + 46 763175062.
To find out more about Skåne Stadsmission’s project, you can visit our members’ website.