Long-standing disparities in accessing human rights for people of colour have existed within the European Union and research shows that 12% of people feel discriminated against due to their ethnic origin while attempting to access education.[1] The recent invasion of Ukraine and resulting departure of Ukrainians and non-Ukrainians to EU countries has resulted in temporary protection mechanisms to serve Ukrainian citizens but not non-Ukrainians who are also at risk of educational inclusion. As networks with communities of colour across Europe, we have been collecting anecdotal data and information on experiences of these non-Ukrainians and invite you to share your experiences with the aim of considering joint actions to be taken at EU level.
Both the SIRIUS Policy Network on Migrant Education and the European Network Against Racism have been concerned about these issues for some time and are launching a new EU level Working Group to shed light on this issue. Watch this space for more news…
[1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/default/files/stepping_up_action_for_a_union_of_equality_-_factsheet_en.pdf