The images earlier this month of far right supporters armed with stones and petrol bombs besieging a Roma community in the town of Litvinov in the Czech Republic are a powerful reminder that violent racism is not a distant memory in the European Union. If anything, anti-Roma sentiment and violence appears to be on the rise. Stopping these abuses, I believe, demands a radical shift on the part of government at the national and local levels.

It would be wrong to single out the Czech Republic. Incidents of violence are taking place with greater frequency throughout Europe and the situation of Roma in numerous countries is desperate. In Hungary, there have been violent attacks against Roma which have left several dead. In Italy and in Greece, mass evictions have taken place and anti-Roma hostility is rife. Italy’s policy of finger-printing Roma was considered by many as tantamount to branding all Roma as criminals – as if the unfortunate popular stereotype needed reinforcing by a government policy.

In my capacity as UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues I have seen first hand the situations of Roma in countries including Hungary, France and Greece. The poverty is appalling and surprising in modern Europe. Discrimination is pervasive and exclusion is almost absolute.

The thin line of Czech police in Litvinov provided protection for that community from a near pogrom – but only for now. That was only a band-aid; a short-term solution to the violent symptoms of a much deeper societal infection. The policies and practices of European States have been, at best, grossly inadequate to resolve intolerable conditions of poverty, marginalization and exclusion experienced by Roma.

I have visited Roma settlements that lack even the most basic amenities which we take for granted, such as running water, electricity and toilets. I have met many Roma men and women who can’t get jobs because the doors of employers are slammed in their faces, due to their nationality. Normal, energetic Roma youngsters have told me that they want to learn and build a future, but are assigned to segregated schools or schools for the mentally disabled, simply because they are Roma. At an early age they are robbed of any hope for a better future.

I have also consulted with government officials with responsibility for Roma affairs who have never visited a Roma settlement, and consequently do not really understand the problems or the lives of the Roma. This is all too often reflected in short-sighted or misguided policies that are destined to fail, and do. I have heard so many government officials respond to the failure of their policies by blaming it on the Roma.

Traditional Roma lifestyles and culture are indeed different from traditional European cultures. That does not divest them of human rights. Equally, as with many profoundly disadvantaged cultures, there are problems within Roma communities that must be addressed. But, with ominous echoes of the past, Roma difference is being used to justify hatred and a label of criminality is applied to all Roma by those who use it to condone violence against them.

As the global economy spirals downward toward disaster, the sense of personal financial insecurity that will rise in its place may lead many to strike out in unfocused anger and resentment. Roma won’t be the only scapegoats. Immigrant communities will also face unjustified blame and attacks. We've seen it before in every region of the world; when unemployment rises, so do racist sentiments against whatever community is the most vulnerable. That quickly turns to violence against those whom the police often do not protect even at the best of times. Indeed, we often see politicians exploiting racial hatred in order to hold on to power, and local government officials either turning a blind eye to abuse or, worse, participating in the violence.

We must be particularly vigilant to make sure that this financial crisis does not lead to increased racist violence. Governments must strongly condemn acts of violence, but they must also do more than that. Where a hard core of extremism exists in society, willing to perpetrate violence, the full force of the criminal justice system must be brought to bear in protection of targeted populations. It must also penetrate to the heart of the vicious criminality of the far right and neo-Nazi movements.

Policies such as the finger-printing of Roma, abuse by police and racist statements by senior public officials contribute to a climate in which societal discrimination and racism are sustained and deepened. Negative stereotypes fuel the prejudice, which is then taken by extremists onto the streets of Litvinov and elsewhere.

Governments must be committed to finding ways to create safe environments for all. This must involve carefully monitoring and strengthening their own anti-racism activities, through leadership, public education and swiftly denouncing hate speech. International law and national policies must be strongly enforced, including at the level of local government, where the message of anti-racism is simply not getting through. National governments have responsibility for strong policies and for taking whatever steps are necessary to force renegade local authorities to comply.

Enforce the law. Prosecute the far-right thug, but also prosecute the company that won’t employ a Roma. In the public sector and the private sector, and if necessary at the school gate, enforce the law and send the message through the law that racism against anyone is unacceptable.