Report about discrimination and racism against Somalis in Sweden

Alert DateJune 19, 2011 Country: Sweden Address: Stockholm General Type: Racist violence, Racist discourse, Discrimination, Institutional discrimination, Equality/Integration Racism and discrimination phenomena: Islamophobia, Afrophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Migrants, Refugees, Muslims, Religious minorities Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Employment - labour market, Housing, Health and social protection, Education, Political participation, Integration - social cohesion, Daily life, Religion Hate speech/Racist Discourse Medium: Internet, TV Media, Public Discourse, Political Discourse, Newspaper, Printed Publication, Other

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Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin Somali
Victims Gender Female, Male
Victims Age N/A
Victims Number N/A
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Swedish
Perpetrator Gender Female, Male
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number N/A
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

The Centre against Racism published a report in June 2011 that highlighted the results from the EU-MIDIS report about discrimination and racism against Somali people. The report highlights the perceptions and experiences of discrimination and racism among Somali people in Sweden. Somali men are often singled out and put under suspicion in public places as potential terrorists and they experience derogatory treatment with authorities such as the police, and stop and search practices, especially at airport controls. Several of the aspects in the EU-MIDIS regarding ethnic discrimination could also be identified in the report. For example, the majority of the respondents reported lack of knowledge of anti-discrimination legislation and the Equality Ombudsman and they did not report ethnic and racial discrimination because of lack of trust in the ability of authorities to understand their double victimisation as Muslims and Africans. The authors also argue that people of African origin do not obtain effective redress due to the lack of recognition of ‘race’ as a condition of skin colour victimisation.

 

“Where did our rights go?” (Vart tog rättigheterna vägen? En kartläggning av upplevelser av diskriminering och rasism bland personer med somalisk bakgrund i Sverige, 2011). The report highlights experiences of discrimination and racism among people with a Somali background in Sweden. The report is written by Victoria Kawesa, Viktorija Kalonaityte, Åse Richards and Abdalla Gasimelseed, http://centrummotrasism.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/rapport-fran-cmr-vart-tog-rattigheterna-vagen/