Czechia makes progress on hate crime, but Roma segregation persists

Czechia has improved its response to hate speech and hate crime, but discrimination against Roma and LGBT+ people remains a concern, according to a new assessment published Tuesday by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance.

The watchdog welcomed recent legislative changes, police training and efforts to integrate Ukrainian children into schools. It nevertheless warned that hateful rhetoric continues to target minorities, particularly online and during election campaigns.

Its report also highlighted persistent inequalities in education: figures from 2022 showed that 15 percent of Roma schoolchildren were enrolled in special education, compared with 2.5 percent of children from the majority population.

The commission, known as ECRI, is the Council of Europe’s anti-racism monitoring body, separate from the European Union’s European Commission. It periodically assesses countries’ efforts to combat discrimination and intolerance.

In its latest Czech assessment, ECRI welcomed the creation of the government commissioner for Roma minority affairs position in 2022 and the adoption of an antisemitism strategy covering 2025–2030.

It also praised action plans against extremism developed with civil society organizations and noted that the Czech president had regularly spoken out against incidents of hate speech.

The commission recognized substantial efforts to train police officers in identifying and addressing hate crimes, as well as intercultural issues. It also welcomed a criminal code amendment adding sexual orientation to the grounds covered by provisions addressing prejudice-motivated offenses.

Schools provided further examples of progress. In several schools employing Roma mediators and teaching assistants, fewer Roma children were leaving education early, the commission said.

ECRI also positively assessed the inclusion of Ukrainian children in the Czech education system.

Despite those developments, the report identified continuing problems with hate speech directed at Roma, LGBT+ people, Ukrainians and Jews.

Social media and election campaigns were particular areas of concern. The commission’s findings underline the gap between improvements in formal protections and the hostility minority communities can encounter in public life.

Education remains another longstanding issue. ECRI criticized the disproportionate placement of Roma children in special education and continuing segregation in schools.

The 2022 figures cited in the report show Roma children were six times as likely as children from the majority population to be enrolled in special education.

The commission issued 15 recommendations to Czech authorities. It identified two priorities: stronger measures against anti-Roma and anti-LGBT+ hostility, including school bullying, and an increase in the number of Roma teaching assistants.

Those priorities build on practices the commission already identified as beneficial, particularly the work of Roma staff helping children remain in education.

ECRI has raised concerns about school segregation and discrimination in previous assessments. Its Czech country-monitoring page provides access to earlier reports and follow-up findings.