Criticism of Raab

Fight against racism: Rauch wants “more speed”

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

A national action plan against racism and discrimination is planned in the Turkish-Green government program. However, it will probably not be implemented, as Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) indicated on Wednesday. He indirectly accused Integration Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) of tardiness.

In 2023, 1302 racist incidents were reported to the anti-racism advice center ZARA. A decrease compared to the previous year, when there were 1479 reports. However, this should not be misleading, as the number of unreported cases is much higher, said ZARA Managing Director Rita Isiba at a press conference on Wednesday. One of ZARA's central demands is the National Action Plan against Racism, which is part of the government program.

"Won't get around to it"
Minister Rauch was asked about this open point in the press foyer after the Council of Ministers. Although he emphasized that some projects had been implemented, he then answered bluntly: "To put it bluntly, we won't be coming back to the National Action Plan." 

According to Minister Rauch (right), the National Action Plan against Racism is failing because of Minister Raab.

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART)

Rauch emphasized that he regretted this: "The National Action Plan against Racism and Discrimination is the responsibility of Federal Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP). We would like to see much more speed in its creation and coordination." In any case, the Green ministries had "done their homework and have already taken important measures in their areas of responsibility", said Rauch.

"Racism is deeply rooted"
When asked about the government's tardiness, ZARA boss Isiba emphasized: "If we don't have the support of politicians, we at least have the support of private individuals and companies." They will continue to work to "bring Austria closer to a society that is critical of racism." The report shows "how deeply rooted racism still is in many areas of life in Austria", Isiba concludes. Above all in the education system, in the workplace, in the healthcare system and in contact with the police, there is the greatest need to catch up.

Of the 1302 reports documented by ZARA in 2023, 58% concerned racism online. However, according to the head of the advice centers, Fiorentina Azizi-Hacker, there is only a "smooth transition" from racism on the internet to attacks in the analogue world. She described an example: a black woman and mother contacted ZARA because she had been subjected to racist and sexist insults and threats by her online dating contact. After she was not interested in meeting up again after the first date, he bombarded her with messages in which he threatened to sexually assault her daughter, among other things.

Too few resources
ZARA has provided personal advice on reports of racism 1708 times and taken legal action and other interventions 702 times. However, the need for intensive counseling is significantly higher than the capacity of the office. "Not that many reports are made if the ZARA advice center has to close for eight weeks to process the reports that are made," says Azizi-Hacker, explaining the decline in reports. "In order to really do something against racism, our resources need to be increased. We are dependent on funding and donations," added Isiba.

The office attributed 15.9 percent of cases to the "public sphere", 11 percent to goods and services, 8.4 percent to state authorities and institutions, 4.5 percent to the police, 1.6 percent to politics and the media and 0.4 percent to the world of work. Formal complaints were only lodged in 4 out of 58 cases of racist police violence. It is not yet possible to say much about the new investigation and complaints office for investigating allegations of abuse against police officers, which started work in January. Even if there are concerns about its independence, this is "nonetheless an important first step."