Fight against racism: “Necessary for peace in the country”

Federal Minister of the Interior Seehofer would like to make the fight against discrimination a permanent issue. He would also pass this on to the new government, he said when he presented a report by the Independent Commission on Antiziganism.

Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has appealed to the future government and the Bundestag to show perseverance when it comes to discrimination and racism. When evaluating the report of the Independent Commission on Antiziganism, Seehofer said in Berlin that he considered such initiatives “to be extremely important and necessary for internal peace in the country”.

The fight against racism, including antiziganism, is “the most important area of ​​his ministry in terms of social policy, alongside protecting the population.” The CSU politician, who will leave the ministerial office with the new government, said that he would continue to dedicate himself to this.

Subject always “when something happens”

Unfortunately, it is always the case that these issues are addressed “when something happens,” said Seehofer. After a discussion for a few days and weeks, the agenda will be returned to. “I would like us to make it a permanent topic,” said Seehofer.

Together with the chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Romani Rose, the minister commented on the report of the commission set up by the Bundestag, which had previously been discussed by the cabinet and in the plenary session of the Bundestag. The report comes to the conclusion that experiences of discrimination for Sinti and Roma are still part of everyday life in Germany, for example in schools, in contact with authorities or the police, and in the neighborhood.

Commission calls on antigypsyism officer

The Commission makes a number of recommendations to address this. These include the demands for an antiziganism commissioner at the federal level and a federal-state commission. In addition, the commission calls for an end to the discrimination against other groups of victims of the Sinti and Roma persecuted under National Socialism and for Roma who have fled to Germany to be recognized as a particularly vulnerable group.

He has great sympathy for most of the Commission’s demands, said Seehofer and added that he could imagine his own representative for the topic. However, he rejected a blanket ban on deportation for Roma, as requested by the Commission.