Protecting the Rights of the Most Vulnerable Groups Needed

“It is crucial that Spain makes the agenda of combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance a priority […] in particular, there is a need for a clear and more visible political leadership in combating racism and xenophobia” said the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Mutuma Ruteere, at the end of his visit to the country.

The UN special rapporteur stressed that, in face of the economical crisis, the Spanish government should give even more attention in protecting the rights of the most vulnerable groups. Migrants and the Roma communities are becoming targets of incidents of scapegoating as the cause of economic hardships; this is creating a climate of racial hostility and violence against these groups.

“Stigmatization of certain groups, including migrants, and the propagation of racial prejudice and negative stereotypes by the media has also been reported. More needs to be done in order to prevent the negative portrayal of migrants in the media, including their criminalization,” he said.

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