New report on Albania from CoE’s Anti-Racism Commission

STRASBOURG, France, March 2 – The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published a new report on Albania, examining racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance in this country.
ECRI’s Chair, Nils Muiznieks, said that, while there had been improvements in certain areas, some issues gave rise to concern, such as the low awareness of discrimination, the social and economic difficulties faced by Roma and Egyptians and the lack of an independent system for the investigation of allegations of ill treatment by the police.
As regards positive developments, Albania’s Criminal Code now provides that the racist motivation of a crime is an aggravating circumstance and prohibits racist or xenophobic statements on the web. Members of the judiciary and police officers, including those responsible for migration and the borders, receive regular human rights training. The Ombudsman and his office have consolidated their role in the protection of human rights and taken steps that may help them take a more systematic approach to possible cases of racial discrimination.
ECRI made a number of recommendations, among which the following three will be revisited in two years time:
Introduce comprehensive civil and administrative legislation against direct and indirect discrimination;
Set clear targets and evaluate the progress made in ensuring Roma access to decent accommodation;
Provide Roma children with Albanian-language support before they enter primary school.
ECRI is an independent human rights body of the Council of Europe which monitors problems of racism and intolerance, prepares reports and issues recommendations to member states.