One year after the start of the new anti-racism laws last September 1st, the Secretary of State for Citizenship and Equality said that, "Portugal is a country with manifestations of racism and xenophobia."
Rosa Monteiro pointed out in a review of progress, that there is still a lot of prejudice against the 'comunidade cigana' (gypsy community) and that it is necessary to know what’s going on in order to combat it.
The Secretary of State’s stark conclusion is backed up by the number of complaints presented to the Commission for Equality and Against Racial Discrimination.
From the beginning of the year to 29 August, the Commission received 206 complaints, 27 more than in the 12 months of 2017. This number is an increase of about 50% compared to 2016.
Rosa Monteiro argued that it is necessary to know the problem in order to combat it and pointed out that a 'European Social Survey' study show that Portugal is, "above the European average in terms of racism."
On the plus side of the equation, there is no openly xenophobic commentary from, for example, politicians, contrary to in many other countries, a situation she described as "very positive.”
The Secretary of State pointed out that it is interesting to see the main problem was ethnic and racial discrimination with many of the complaints presented by people or associations linked to the Roma community.
"We realise that there are many prejudices and a lot of ignorance regarding the gypsy people and their way of life and we know that ignorance generates prejudice and segregation," she said.
First equal on the discrimination complaints list were "gypsy ethnicity" and "black skin colour," followed by "Brazilian nationality."
More training is needed with the GNR and Police forces, and with the Directorate-General of Prison Services “so that they know the law," explained the Secretary of State who sees the complaints as a positive, "the revision and strengthening of the Commission’s resources was fundamental," and has resulted in an increase in the number of complaints.
Comments
As the IMF hinted at in their reports, refusal to gather data and / or submitting entirely fanciful results, was endemic across all Portuguese Government activity. The first few years of IMF supervision weakened by the need to repeatedly question the credibility of whatever data the Portuguese had put in front of them.
The now well known 2011 Guardian Portugal Race Blindness article into deaths in Portuguese prisons highlighted the now even better known policy of "Official Blindness" of the Portuguese Administration. Portuguese authorities keeping no data on ethnicity or race as standard practice so not officially differentiating between the foreigners place of origin in any official Local, Regional or National Government administration activity. The Portuguese Race Relations body admitting then as now in 2018 that it therefore had very little to do and in any case lacked the resources to do its job properly. The first hurdle for any foreigner complaining of racism is always that you have defamed the Portuguese mistreating you. His claim going to court and succeeding before yours - so defeating any sense pursuing the foreigners original claim. This officially EU funded report from 2013 makes grim reading for anyone who believes in a better EU ...
https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/sites/crimeandjustice.org.uk/files/Prison%20conditions%20in%20Portugal.pdf
And when it's time to move on the camp site is left with all sorts of crap. Is this the prejudice Rosa Monteiro talks about?
I have found a very off-hand, unsmiling reception here and in the Azores UNTIL some communication is achieved and then all is most friendly.
Further, if one (not temp tourists) doesn't make at least an effort to speak Portuguese, that's understandable - try France!
Why don´t they ask people who have been attacked or robbed by gypsies? Their views could not be called prejudice.
As travellers with no fixed abode, these gypsy people are not subject to the same laws covering tax and financial contribution as the rest of us. And yet they benefit from the society that everyone else pays for. Is that fair?
Rosa Monteiro could do much to remove prejudice by facing these views, and by describing and even defending the way of life and ethics of this ethnic group.