Czech Republic: Situation of access to education, employment, housing and health care for Roma; government efforts to integrate Roma into Czech society (2013-February 2016)

1. Overview of the Situation of Roma People

Sources report that, according to the Council of Europe, Roma communities continue to face discrimination in the Czech Republic (EUobserver 14 Oct. 2015; Newsweek 15 Oct. 2015; New Europe 16 Oct. 2015). According to Amnesty International (AI), Roma in the Czech Republic are "treated as second-class citizens" (AI 8 Apr. 2015). The US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014 states that the law prohibits discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, nationality and personal belief, among others (US 25 June 2015, 19). However, violence against Roma and societal discrimination continue to be a "serious problem" (ibid., 1). The same source notes that Roma, "who numbered at estimated 300,000, experienced high levels of poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy and faced varying levels of discrimination in education, employment and housing" (ibid., 26).

1.1 Education

According to a 2014 survey on the situation of Roma access to education in the EU, published by the European Union (EU) Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), in Czech Republic, 33 percent of Roma children attend segregated schools or classes and 23 percent of Roma children attend special schools or classes (EU 2014c, 45, 48). Country Reports for 2014 also cites the Czech School Inspectorate as stating that approximately one third of Roma children were placed in remedial (also called "practical") schools, which "segregated them into a substandard educational system" and "provided little opportunity for them to continue to higher levels of education" (US 25 June 2015, 30). The EUobserver, a Brussels-based independent news media outlet covering EU affairs in all EU member states (EUobserver n.d.), quotes the Secretary General of the Council of Europe as indicating that Roma, particularly Roma children, face discrimination in the Czech Republic (ibid. 14 Oct. 2015). AI notes that Roma children "rarely have a fighting chance of progressing in life. They are trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and marginalization" (AI 8 Apr. 2015).

AI reports that in 2007, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held that placement of Romani children in schools designed for pupils with mild mental disabilities in the Czech Republic violated the rights of Romani children (ibid.). According to Country Reports for 2014,

[t]he government worked closely with the Council of Europe to implement an ECHR decision on inclusive education of Romani students, but implementation was piecemeal and remained incomplete seven years after the initial judgment against the country. (US 25 June 2015, 9)

Financial Times, a London-based newspaper, reports that, despite the 2007 ruling, "the Czech Republic continues to send thousands of Roma students to schools designed for pupils with mental disabilities" (Financial Times 29 Apr. 2015). Moreover, tens of thousands of Roma children are "forced to study in segregated schools or are bullied by non-Roma students and staff" (ibid.). According to the same source, the problem is aggravated by the fact that mainstream schools that accept Roma pupils report that "non-Roma parents withdraw their children, often using the argument that they slow the learning of others" (ibid.).

Sources report that in September 2014, the European Commission initiated an infringement procedure against the Czech Republic (AI 8 Apr. 2015; US 25 June 2015, 9) for "failing to implement the ECHR decision and not integrating Romani students into mainstream education" (ibid.). AI explains that the infringement procedure was issued against the Czech Republic for violating the EU antidiscrimination law which protects the rights of Roma children in schools (AI 8 Apr. 2015). According to Open Society Foundations, an organization that works with local communities to "build vibrant and tolerant democracies," the infringement procedure is a "precursor to possible legal action by the Commission before the European Court of Justice" (Open Society Foundations 25 Sept. 2014). Further information on the infringement procedure could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

1.2 Employment

According to the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) 2014 survey on poverty and employment of Roma in 11 EU member states, between 66 and 74 percent of Czech Roma respondents reported facing discrimination when looking for work and 47 percent indicated that they experience discrimination at work (EU 2014a, 13). A 2014 report published by the European Commission on Roma integration strategies notes that Roma capacities to secure employment are limited due to direct and indirect discrimination within the labour market (EU 2 Apr. 2014, 5). The same source cites Czech government statistics as stating that child benefits, social benefits and disability benefits are "often the main source of income" for Roma (ibid. 2014b, 93). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

1.3 Housing

AI states that Roma experience social exclusion, poor living conditions and forced evictions (AI 8 Apr. 2015). According to the 2014 Czech Ombudsman's annual report, Roma families are "most affected" by the lack of housing (Czech Republic 2015, 96). Country Reports for 2014 indicates that

[a]pproximately one-third of Roma lived in "excluded localities," or ghettos. There were more than 400 such ghettos in the country, often with substandard housing and poor health conditions. In addition to housing discrimination, urban gentrification and rent increases contributed to the growth in Roma-dominated ghettos. (US 25 June 2015, 29)

A 2014 European Commission report on the health status of Roma populations within EU member countries similarly states that seventy percent of Roma in the Czech Republic "live in households with severe material deprivation compared to 21 [percent] of non-Roma" (EU 2014b, 93). Moreover, "15 [percent] of Roma live in households without at least one of the basic amenities: indoor kitchen, toilet, shower, bath or electricity. This compares to 3 percent of the non-Roma population" (ibid.). According to a report published in 2015 by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), an independent human rights monitoring body focusing on questions related to racism and intolerance (Council of Europe 13 Oct. 2015, 7), the European Roma and Travellers Forum initiated a complaint against the Czech Republic in February 2014 under the European Social Charter, alleging that Roma are "subjected to residential segregation, substandard housing conditions, forced evictions and other systematic violations of the rights to adequate housing and the right to health" (ibid., 26). ECRI reports that as of 2015, the case was under examination (ibid.).

The Czech Ombudsman's 2014 report found that some real estate agents in the Czech Republic were refusing to lease housing to Roma (Czech Republic 2015, 97). A complaint was made to the Ombudsman about the cases, and the agents were found "guilty of direct discrimination;" however, the dispute was still being heard in court at the time of the report's publication (ibid.). According to the same source, a housing co-operative described Roma as "'maladjusted citizens'" on its website (ibid., 96). The report further states that the Ombudsman recommended the housing co-operative to "refrain from discrimination in the form of harassment" and remove the text from its website (ibid). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

1.4 Health Care

The European Commission's Roma Health Report indicates that Roma face obstacles accessing health care in Czech Republic (EU 2014b, 63). The same report notes that statistics and data on Roma health in the Czech Republic are not available after 1990, "due to the removal of Roma-specific questions on the basis of human rights and personal data protection rules. … Health records generally do not form a part of collected information on Roma" (ibid., 91). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2. Effectiveness of Government Efforts to Integrate Roma in Czech Society

Sources indicate that the Anti-Discrimination Act was enacted in the Czech Republic in 2009 (EUobserver 14 Oct. 2015; Council of Europe 13 Oct. 2015, 9) and the Public Defender of Rights (Ombudsman) was designated as equal-treatment and anti-discrimination body (ibid.). The ECRI report states that the Ombudsman "does not possess the necessary powers and responsibilities to combat racial discrimination effectively" (ibid.). Country Reports for 2014 further indicates that, according to Ombudsman, the high fees for filing a discrimination complaint, "results in few cases being filed" (US 25 June 2015, 19).

ECRI reports that "the Concept of Roma Integration," which was adopted in 2009, addresses the four main issues of education, employment, housing and health care (Council of Europe 13 Oct. 2015, 23). However, ECRI also points out that the Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner expressed regret that the Concept has not be implemented because of a "lack of an enforcement mechanism and of adequate resources" and because of "continued difficulties caused by the limited involvement of the regions and municipalities, particularly in the areas of special education and housing" (ibid., 24).

The ECRI report further states that the Strategy of Combating Social Exclusion 2011-2015, a Czech policy document addressing persons affected by exclusion, such as Roma, in the areas of safety, housing, education, social services, health, employment and regional development, contains clear target dates and outlines of financial requirements (ibid.). However, in discussing housing and employment, ECRI observes that the Strategy "only mentions in passing discrimination in the housing market and does not mention at all the segregational and racist housing policies of municipalities. The chapter on employment does not address discrimination in the labour market" (ibid.).

Country Reports for 2014 states that it is the Agency for Social Inclusion which

[h]as responsibility for implementing the government's strategy for combating social exclusion to improve education, housing, security, regional development, employment, and family/social/health services for socially excluded or disadvantaged individuals, many of whom were members of ethnic and other minorities. The agency ran programs in cities throughout the country, including 17 new cities. The agency had an operating budget of 45 million koruna ($2.25 million) for 2013-15 and worked with municipalities, NGOs, schools, and labor offices to secure funding for projects. (US 25 June 2015, 30)

The same source further stated that

[t]he agency started a national project focused on three areas: educating youth about tolerance, sharing best practices of social inclusion in local government, and conducting a national media campaign against racism and hate crimes focused on youth under the age of 25. The project was scheduled to run for three years and had a budget of 37 million koruna ($1.85 million). (ibid., 30-31)

However, Country Reports 2014 states that the Agency for Social Inclusion was criticized by NGOs and other governmental entities as ineffective because of a lack of tangible progress on Roma integration (ibid., 31). The EUobserver cites the Council of Europe as indicating that the Czech government was "not doing enough to protect the rights of the Roma population" (EUobserver 14 Oct. 2015). According to Reuters, ECRI stated that "strategies for Roma integration in the Czech Republic and for combating social exclusion have failed" (Reuters 13 Oct. 2015).

2.1 Education

Country Reports 2014 indicates that in September 2014, the Czech Ministry of Education issued a new regulation designed to "improve the method of testing for special needs, including by involving more experts in the decision process. The regulation requires increased retesting over the course of a student's education" (US 25 June 2015, 30). Decade of Roma Inclusion, an initiative to eliminate discrimination against Roma that brings together governments, NGOs and Romani civil society (Decade of Roma Inclusion n.d.), published an annual Progress Report 2014 for the Czech Republic which quotes Czech government information as stating that the amendment to the Education Act entered into force on 17 April 2015 (ibid. 2014, 7). The amendment "deals with education of people with special educational needs, as well as with admission to primary school preparatory classes for all children" with the aim to promote inclusive and equal access to education for children (ibid.). The same source indicates that the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports supports Roma minorities through grants, such as the Programme Funding of Assistant Teachers for Socially Disadvantaged Children, Pupils and Students, the Programme for Support of Roma Integration and the Support of Socially Disadvantaged Roma Students at Secondary Schools, among others (ibid. 8-9).

Objectives of such programs include creating new assistant teacher positions, supporting the professional development of teachers, providing a wider array of spare-time activities for children, and subsidizing the compensation of costs associated with secondary or higher education for Roma families (ibid., 9).

The 2015 ECRI monitoring report on the Czech Republic states that "[a]mendments to Article 16 of the Schools Act introducing measures to support children with special education needs in an individual manner in mainstream schools were adopted" (Council of Europe 13 Oct. 2015, 9). However, the same source notes that in practice, there were no specific measures taken to transfer Roma pupils from "practical to ordinary education" (ibid.).

According to AI, the implementation of education reforms addressing discrimination of Romani children initiated by the Czech authorities has been "so slow it has failed to address the situation in any significant way" (AI 8 Apr. 2015). A report of the European Commission on the implementation of the EU framework for Roma integration, published in 2014, states that the "persistence of segregation of Roma children in special schools or classes remains a key challenge" (EU 2 Apr. 2014, sec. 3, 3). The report further notes that the Czech Republic "will need to put in place stronger measures to end and reverse this situation through a quality accessible and mainstream inclusive education system" (ibid.).

2.2 Employment

Without providing details, Country Reports 2014 indicates that in 2013 the Czech Minister for Human Rights and the Minister for Labour and Social affairs announced their support for socially disadvantaged groups, specifically Roma, and "advocated policies favourable to them within the government" (US 25 June 2015, 27). According to the Decade of Roma Inclusion, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs implemented an active employment policy, which is "ethnically neutral," and that supports the "inclusion of disadvantaged people in the labour market regardless of their ethnic or cultural origin" (Decade of Roma Inclusion 2014, 10). The report further states that Roma minority are "usually the target group of active employment policy because they are mostly people with low or inadequate qualifications and the long-term unemployed" (ibid.). According to the same source,

[j]obseekers from disadvantaged socio-cultural environment receive special care in the mediation of employment. This care [is] based on an individual approach to each individual, the assignment to active employment policy according to the interests and needs, the use of advisory activities in promoting of socially beneficial jobs for these vulnerable clients in regional efforts to gain support for the performance of community service. (ibid.)

The ECRI report urges the government to "pursue vigorously their efforts to tackle the disadvantage faced by the Roma and carry out awareness-raising measures aimed at employers in order to overcome long-standing prejudice" (Council of Europe 13 Oct. 2015, 25). The same source notes that they are "not aware of any such measures being taken" (ibid.). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.3 Housing

Sources state that the Act on Social Housing has not been adopted yet (Czech Republic 2015, 96; Housing Europe 3 Nov. 2015). The website of the European Federation of Public, Cooperative and Social Housing (Housing Europe), a network of social and cooperative housing providers in 23 countries (ibid. n.d.), indicates that the Act is expected to be finalized in 2016 and is expected to come into force at the beginning of 2017 (ibid. 3 Nov. 2015).

The Decade of Roma Inclusion report states that as a measure to support integration of Roma into society, the Ministry of Regional Development provides funding for a subsidized housing programme to construct apartments and social housing for those people "whose access to housing is disadvantaged" (Decade of Roma Inclusion 2014, 12). According to the same source,

Roma living in socially excluded localities or in localities endangered by social exclusion can benefit from the Initial Accommodation grant programme. This programme focuses on providing social accommodation to individuals with a low income who are in a difficult social situation and who - despite making use of other available state social and housing policy measures - do not have access to housing ... [T]he number of supported flats has increased significantly from 347 in 2013 to 430 in 2014. (ibid.)

Country Reports 2014 also states that the "government was considering a proposal to absorb the debt of Romani families so that they qualify for subsidized housing; some municipalities had already begun to freeze debt" (US 25 June 2016, 30). The ECRI report recommends that Czech authorities "enact a law on social housing" and stop the practice of "subsidising exorbitant rent for sub-standard accommodation in hostels and dormitories for Roma" (Council of Europe 13 Oct. 2015, 10). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2.4 Health Care

According to the Decade of Roma Inclusion Progress Report 2014 on Czech Republic, support of Roma in the area of health care is provided through "Roma counsellors operating at the level of municipalities with extended competences, through field workers or social workers of the NGOs" (Decade of Roma Inclusion 2014, 14). For example, in 2013, the Ministry of Health implemented a project for health promotion and disease prevention in the Roma population (ibid.).

The 2014 report published by the European Commission on the implementation of the EU framework for Roma integration strategies indicates that health professionals in Czech Republic were offered training in the provision of healthcare services to the Roma population, which included communication courses focusing on the specific socio-cultural environment of a patient, as well as "Interpersonal skills of Professional[s]" and "Education programmes" (EU 2 Apr. 2014, 7). The Decade of Roma Inclusion Progress Report 2014 similarly states that educational programs are offered to medical staff in order to prepare them for "work with patients from a different socio-cultural background" (Decade of Roma Inclusion 2014, 14). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Amnesty International (AI). 8 April 2015. "Segregation, Bullying and Fear: the Stunted Education of Romani Children in Europe." [Accessed 23 Feb. 2016]

Council of Europe. 13 October 2015. European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI). ECRI Report on the Czech Republic (Fifth Monitoring Cycle). [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016]

Czech Republic. 2015. Public Defender of Rights (Ombudsman). Annual Report on the Activities of the Public Defender of Rights 2014. [Accessed 25 Feb. 2016]

Decade of Roma Inclusion. 2014. Progress Report 2014. [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016]

_____. N.d. "Frequently Asked Questions." [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016]

European Union (EU). 2 April 2014. European Commission. Report on the Implementation of the EU Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies. (COM (2014) 209 Final). [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016]

_____. 2014a. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Roma Survey-Data in Focus: Poverty and Employment: the Situation of Roma in 11 EU Member States. [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016]

_____. 2014b. European Commission. Roma Health Report: Health Status of the Roma Population - Data Collection in the Member States of the European Union. [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016]

_____. 2014c. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Roma Survey -Data in Focus: Education: the Situation of Roma in 11 EU Member States. [Accessed 24 Feb. 2016]

EUobserver. 14 October 2015. Eric Maurice. "Czechs and Slovaks Not Doing Enough on Roma and Gay Rights." [Accessed 3 Feb. 2016]

_____. N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 26 Feb. 2016]

Financial Times. 29 April 2015. Henry Foy and Duncan Robinson. "Brussels Takes a Tougher Line on Roma Discrimination." [Accessed 3 Feb. 2016]

Housing Europe. 3 November 2015. "The New Social Housing Concept in Czech Republic." [Accessed 25 Feb. 2016]

______. N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 25 Feb. 2016]

New Europe. 16 October 2015. "Roma Discriminated, Segregated in Czech Republic and Slovakia." [Accessed 3 Feb. 2016]

Newsweek. 15 October 2015. Damien Sharkov. "Council of Europe Slams Discrimination in Czech Republic and Slovakia." [Accessed 3 Feb. 2016]

Open Society Foundations. 25 September 2014. Roma Initiatives Office. "Brussels Takes Action Against Czech Republic Over Roma School Discrimination." [Accessed 23 Feb. 2016]

Reuters. 13 October 2015. "European Human Rights Watchdog Slams Roma Segregation in Slovakia, Czech Republic." [Accessed 3 Feb. 2016]

United States (US). 25 June 2015. Department of State. "Czech Republic." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014. [Accessed 25 Feb. 2016]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Czech Republic - Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs, Ministry of Education Youth and Sports, National Institute of Public Health, Office of the Public Defender of Rights; European Roma Rights Centre.

Internet sites, including: Al Jazeera; BBC; Czech Republic - Ministry of Education Youth and Sports, National Institute of Public Health, Office of the Public Defender of Rights; Deutsche Welle; ecoi.net; Equineteurope.org; EurActiv.com; EuroHealthNet; EuroNet; European Network Against Racism; European Roma Rights Centre; Eurostat; Evening-ombudsman.eu; Factiva; Freedom House; Roma Education Fund; Romea.cz; United Nations - Refworld, UN Development Program.