Robustness and success of the Swedish policy against hate crimes questionable

Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Is Sweden a racist country? It is hard to get a straight answer here and depending on whom one asks, the answers would be perceived skewed to various directions. This is where a Swedish UN organisation Association comes in and suggests that a new agency be created in Sweden to combat racism and ethnic discrimination in the country which they perceived is out of control.

The Swedish UN Association (Svenska FN-förbundet) said there is no strategy for the fight against racial discrimination and other related hate crimes in the country. The organisation is thus suggesting that a new agency be created to combat racism and ethnic discrimination. This comes from a preamble of report heading to the UN in the Swedes want  to present to the UN Racial Discrimination Committee on Thursday.

As early as 2010 the delegation of human rights proposed that Sweden should establish an authority of Human Rights in swede charge with examining human right activities in Sweden. But up till now nothing has happened. As such Sweden has been defined by the organization to have the following in relations to human rights.

• Sweden lacks an independent national human rights institution to monitor the law and authority which are consistent with international human rights obligations.

• Sweden lacks a clear strategy to combat hate crimes. Offences such as anti-religious and African phobic designs have increased and are common.
  

• Increased in the total number of hate crimes  which remains high (5,520 reported crimes in 2012 of which 74 per cent of xenophobic / racist).

• Unemployment among foreign-born in Sweden is two to three times higher than among people born in Sweden (white people). A Swedish-sounding name is often required to be given the chance of a job interview.

• Racist organizations continue to spread propaganda in the schools and on the internet. On the internet there are over 100 white power websites.
  

• Sami and Roma face continued discrimination. Sweden has not yet ratified ILO Convention 169 on indigenous peoples’ land rights. The right of Roma children to attend school must be implemented in the country’s municipalities.

Now the Swedish United Nations Association is once again making the same request asking the government to create human right organization to watch the minorities and check hate crimes.

Their ground for that is that, according to the association, an independent national authority for human rights should be established if Sweden is to run a real anti-discrimination policy.

“Structural racism, discrimination, and hate crimes make many people in Sweden live in insecurity. By including an established independent monitoring authority with competence in human rights issues, the government is boosting its anti-discrimination policies that have already stalled,” says Aleksander Gabelic, chairman of the Swedish United Nations Association (pictured above) in a report preamble to made public on Wednesday.

According to the Swedish United Nations Association, Sweden lacks a clear strategy to combat hate crimes and the union points to racist organizations continuing to spread propaganda online and in schools. In addition, the association point specifically that the Sami and Roma people face continued discrimination in Sweden.

Among the recommendations of the United Nations Association to be submitted to UN Racial Discrimination Committee, the call for the following:

• Establish with UN support a national and independent authority for human rights under the Riksdag (Swedish parliament).

• Human Rights Commissions should be in a third of the world’s countries and in 17 EU countries.

• Develop a uniform definition and interpretation of the concept of hate crime and to train police, prosecutors, and judges on relevant legislation.
  

• In addition the union calls for employees in schools, housing and health care to be trained to fight discrimination in everyday life.

by Scancomark.com Team