A prominent Spanish rights group released a report documenting a slew of incidents involving racist and discriminatory behavior across Spain during the state of emergency imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th June, 2020) A prominent Spanish rights group released a report documenting a slew of incidents involving racist and discriminatory behavior across Spain during the state of emergency imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
In the report, Rights International Spain (RIS) surveyed several local and specialized rights groups from March 15 to May 2 and found that marginalized and vulnerable people were exposed to a higher danger of reprisals and infection.
According to the report, there were 70 reported incidents of institutionalized racism during that period, 32 percent of which targeted people of African descent, 30 percent were against Arab Muslims and 25 percent affected the Roma people.
The RIS also described at least 13 cases of racial profiling and police brutality against minorities during that period, including the violent arrest of a mentally disabled black man in Bilbao.
The report also noted widespread dissemination of hate speech, particularly on social media, painting Asian and Roma people as spreaders of COVID-19.
The report looked at domestic workers, street vendors and seasonal agricultural workers, most of whom are undocumented immigrants in the country. The report described these people as the most vulnerable to coronavirus infection because of the need to work for subsistence and cramped living conditions. At the same time, they were disproportionately fined for violating lockdown rules because they could not present documents proving they are traveling for work.
Asylum seekers, especially in Spain's African exclave of Melilla, were kept in unsanitary conditions primed for the spread of coronavirus.
Sex workers came under pressure to violate lockdown rules and keep working during the state of emergency, exposing them to possible infection and legal repercussions, the report said.
Spain was one of the worst affected countries by the coronavirus, with over 289,000 cases in total and 27,136 fatalities. The country has passed its peak of infections and life is slowly resuming, but the government has extended the state of emergency until June 21.
