Keywords: Housing of Roma in Czech Republic; Standard of Living of Roma in Czech Republic;
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Keywords: Police Violence against Roma; Access for Roma to Information; Discrimination of Roma in Relation to Family Life;
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Keywords: Roma in Czech Republic;
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Keywords: Basic Rights in Housing; Basic Rights in Education; Basic Rights in Access to Health-Care; Hate speech against Roma;
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Keywords: Non-Discrimination; Right to Education; Right to Social Security; Roma in Serbia;
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Keywords: Macedonia; Roma; Roma rights; discrimination; women; Romani girls; sexual violence; healthcare; citizenship; housing; detention system;
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC)1 hereby submits this list of issues concerning the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to the United Nations Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (hereinafter also referred to as “Committee”) for the consideration of the Committee on the 71 presession for the List of Issues. The submission focuses on the situation of Romani women and girls, in particular sexual abuse of Romani children in state care institutions, access to reproductive healthcare and citizenship rights. FYROM has 2,022,547 inhabitants, of whom 53,879 (2.66%) have declared themselves Roma. However, the available unofficial estimate for Roma is 135,490 (6.77%). Roma live in 75 out of 85 municipalities across the country. According to official data, the majority of Roma live in the capital, Skopje (23,475), with 56% of Skopje’s Roma concentrated in the municipality of Šuto Orizari (13,342).
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Keywords: Hungary; Roma; human rights; right to family; Romani children; education; school segregation; harassment; racial profiling; discrimination; Hungarian authorities;
Articles 2, 23 (1), 24 (1)– Right to family and non-discrimination: Romani Children in State Care 3 Articles 2, 26, 27: Right to equal education: School segregation of Romani pupils 4 Articles 2, 26, 27: Harassment and differential treatment of Romani women at childbirth 6 Articles 2, 20, 26: Racial profiling of Roma: Discriminatory fining practices, discriminatory inspections and harassment of Roma by the Hungarian authorities 6
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Keywords: Slovakia; human rights; discrimination; racial discrimination; police treatment; harassment; housing; drinking water; education; Roma;
The European Roma Rights Centre (hereinafter also referred to as the “ERRC”) and the Forum for Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as the “FORUM”) hereby jointly submit this report to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (hereinafter also referred to as “Committee”) for the consideration to the 94th Session (20 November - 8 December 2017). The report focuses on the issues faced by Romani communities in Slovakia, namely: - police ill-treatment and harassment, - access to adequate housing, including access to drinking water, - discrimination in education. In its 2013 Concluding observations (CERD/C/ SVK/CO/9-10), the Committee addressed all the above-mentioned issues. Though several years have passed since, the submitting NGOs believe that the Slovak government has taken no significant steps to address the issues, therefore, the situation remains largely unchanged and the problems persist.
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Keywords: Czech Republic; human rights; Roma; education; forced sterilisation; housing;
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC)1 submits this parallel report to highlight some key human rights concerns in the Czech Republic. The submission provides a factual base and recommendations on Roma for the key issues of education, forced and coercive sterilisation, and housing.
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Keywords: Slovakia; Roma rights; human rights; police treatment; harassment; torture; government;
The European Roma Rights Centre (hereinafter also referred to as the “ERRC”) hereby submits this report to the United Nations Committee against Torture (hereinafter also referred to as “Committee”) for the consideration for the List of Issues prior to reporting. The report focuses on the issues of police ill-treatment and harassment of Roma in Slovakia and the related ineffective investigation of allegations of police ill-treatment and harassment. In its 2015 Concluding observations (CAT/C/SVK/CO/3) , the Committee addressed the above-mentioned issues. The Committee expressed concerns about excessive use of force by law enforcement officials particularly against Roma and about the lack of independence of investigations into allegations of ill-treatment by police officers. It recommended that the State party, amongst others, carries out prompt, impartial, thorough and effective investigations into all allegations of excessive use of force, including torture and ill-treatment, by law enforcement officials and establish an independent monitoring and oversight mechanism that complies with the requirements of institutional independence in order to avoid conflict of interest in the investigation of complaints by peers. The ERRC believes that the Slovak government has taken no significant steps to address the above-mentioned issues. Therefore, the situation remains largely unchanged and the problems persist.
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Keywords: Serbia; Roma rights; human rights; Roma children; education; Roma women; illiteracy; ethnic discrimination; birth registration; segregation; discrimination;
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) submits this parallel report to the Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review reporting country-specific information on issues affecting Roma in Serbia that raise questions under the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR). The present report describes the current situation regarding serious human rights abuses of Roma in Serbia – school segregation, ethnic discrimination and lack of birth registration. The ERRC respectfully submits its written comments concerning Serbia for consideration by the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) at its 29th working group session, which will be held from January to February 2018. The ERRC has undertaken regular monitoring of the human rights situation of Roma in Serbia and this report reflects the current priorities in our work in Serbia. According to current official estimates, Roma in Serbia make up approximately 2.05%2 of the total population or 147,604 Roma. This makes Roma the second largest minority after Hungarians. However, a verified and accurate count remains elusive. Unofficial sources suggest that the number of Roma in Serbia is significantly higher, ranging between 250,000 to 500,000. In addition to the autochthonous groups, an estimated to 50,000 Roma fled during and after the conflict in Kosovo to Serbia; only half of whom registered as internally displaced persons (IDPs). However, it is not known if all of them remained in Serbia or left for destinations in Western Europe. Furthermore, thousands of Roma have been returned to Serbia from Western European countries in the last years as failed asylum seekers; including Roma who were originally from Kosovo. Roma are the youngest ethnic group in Serbia. The average age is 27.5 years, compared to 40.2 years among the general Serbian population. According to UNICEF, the primary school completion rate for non-Roma children is 94.5% and the transition rate to secondary school is 96.5%, while for Roma children the primary school completion rate is considerably lower - 63%, while the numbers for secondary school for Roma youngsters is even lower - 55.5%. Illiteracy rates range between age groups from 13.7% amongst adolescents to 57.2% among the elderly. Romani women are extremely disadvantaged when it comes to education achievements; illiteracy is estimated to reach up to 80%.
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Keywords: France; Roma; human rights; Roma rights; Romani children; housing; forced evictions; water and sanitation; hate speech; education;
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) hereby submits this report to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) for the universal periodic review of France’s compliance with its human rights commitments. This report focuses on housing, forced evictions, access to water and sanitation.
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Keywords: EU; EU enlargement; human rights; Roma; state care; education; discrimination; gender equality; housing; racial profiling; violence; Albania; Kosovo; Macedonia; Serbia; Turkey;
The report commissioned by DG NEAR The Thematic Evaluation on IPA Support to Roma Communities, clearly identified why EU funding did not have a discernible impact on Roma inclusion in the first round of IPA assistance. The findings from the first round of IPA funding raised a number of concerns: - Credible assessment of project effectiveness proved to be difficult “because of poor design of indicators and means of verification, together with scarce project level evaluation”; - Even in the sphere of education where most progress has been made the report concluded that “Evidence for improved educational attainment is piecemeal and anecdotal – but points strongly in the right direction”; - Displacement projects were not designed specifically for Roma, but for all displaced persons so there were no Roma-specific activities, objectives or indicators. Specifically for the Roma population, sustainability is highly questionable and there are concerns that housing projects creating (or re-creating) segregated communities. - Housing projects are expensive and relatively insignificant interventions compared to the scale of the needs. - Employment projects have not achieved any notable successes; - Monitoring at country, programme and project level remains very poor. At country level, there are some efforts to provide indicators and data on the situation of Roma communities, but there is an almost complete lack of comparable information over time to show changes. The recommendations concerning political will, financial allocations, robust monitoring, gender equity, and the “need for a strong, independent and sustainable civil society”, mirror the challenges facing the EU Framework. What is clear from ERRC’s various submissions, advocacy, research and litigation in the enlargement countries of the western Balkans over the past years is that for Roma inclusion to be effective, national and local authorities must prioritise combating all forms of discrimination; ending residential and school segregation; challenging ethnic profiling and police brutality; addressing statelessness and ending forced evictions; and ensuring access to justice. The need to step up the fight against all forms of discrimination against Roma including institutional racism, which is evident in the enlargement countries, is something that is common to all of the Member States of the European Union. The Commission in its 2016 Communication on the EU Roma Framework, explicitly called on Member States to demonstrate greater political will to combat discrimination, described rising anti-Gypsyism as “a specific form of racism”, and urged public authorities to distance themselves from racist and xenophobic discourse that targets Roma. When it comes to anti-Roma hate speech and hate crime, the Commission bluntly stated that authorities’ failure to take action effectively amounts to complicity: “it is important to realise that a reluctance to act also contributes to the acceptance of intolerance in societies.” The ERRC fully agrees with the Commission’s observations, and it is clear from this ERRC submission and the previous one, that Roma in enlargement countries face similar or even more serious problems than in many EU Member States. As mentioned earlier, the ERRC welcomes the Commission’s statement that enlargement policy remains focused on the “fundamentals first” principle, which includes the rule of law and fundamental rights, with specific mention of the “need to better protect minorities, in particular Roma.” Therefore, the ERRC recommends that the Commission work with the governments of enlargement countries to put in place “robust monitoring mechanisms” on Roma inclusion that align with the EU Framework, and to establish an annual reporting schedule that coincides with that of the Member States. This would allow for greater transparency and meaningful comparability between Member States and aspirant countries. It is important from the outset to send a signal to these countries that combating discrimination and racism is a priority for the Commission in its “fundamentals first” policy approach to further enlargement. Based on our common experience of the EU Framework, ERRC fully endorses the Commission’s assertion that “stepping up the fight against racism and discrimination” remains essential to making any advances in “reducing the socio-economic gap between the Roma and non-Roma population in the Western Balkans and Turkey” up to 2020 and beyond.
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Keywords: Bulgaria; Roma; human rights; racial discrimination; segregation; hate speech; violence; forced evictions; education; health care; segregated maternity wards;
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) is a Roma-led international public interest law organisation which monitors the human rights of Roma in Europe and provides legal defence in cases of human rights violations. The ERRC is deeply concerned at the lack of progress made by Bulgarian authorities since CERD issued its concluding observations on Bulgaria in 2009 with specific reference to the committee’s recommendations concerning the situation of Roma and other minorities. Bulgarian authorities continue to target Romani communities for forced evictions, and the de facto segregation of Roma continues in all areas of life, in particular in the spheres of residential segregation and segregation in healthcare facilities. Limited progress has been made with regards to enforcing legislation persecuting racially motivated hate crimes. Hate speech continues to affect Romani minorities in particular, leading to a number of instances of violence. In a number of cases, Bulgarian authorities have failed to protect Romani citizens from violent racist mobs attacking Romani communities and individuals. This submission also finds that CERD’s calls for improving the situation of Roma in all areas of life, in particular of access to healthcare and housing, have yet to be adequately addressed.
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Keywords: Serbia; human rights; Roma; discrimination; segregation; education; housing; children; institutional care; birth registration; personal documentation;
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) submits this parallel report to the Human Rights Committee reporting country-specific information on issues affecting Roma in Serbia that raise questions under the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR). The present report describes the current situation regarding serious human rights abuses of Roma in Serbia – school segregation, ethnic discrimination and lack of birth registration. The ERRC respectfully submits its written comments concerning Serbia for consideration by the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) at its Concluding Observations of the 119th Session, which will be held from 6 to 29 March 2017. The ERRC has undertaken regular monitoring of the human rights situation of Roma in Serbia and this report reflects the current priorities in our work in Serbia. According to current official estimates, Roma in Serbia make up approximately 2.05% of the total population or 147,604 Roma. This makes Roma the second largest minority after Hungarians. However, a verified and accurate count remains elusive. Unofficial sources suggest that the number of Roma in Serbia is significantly higher, ranging between 250,000 to 500,000. In addition to the autochthonous groups, an estimated to 50,000 Roma fled during and after the conflict in Kosovo to Serbia; only half of whom registered as internally displaced persons (IDPs). However, it is not known if all of them remained in Serbia or left for destinations in Western Europe. Furthermore, thousands of Roma have been returned to Serbia from Western European countries in the last years as failed asylum seekers; including Roma who were originally from Kosovo. Roma are the youngest ethnic group in Serbia. The average age is 27.5 years, compared to 40.2 years among the general Serbian population. According to UNICEF, the primary school completion rate for non-Roma children is 94.5% and the transition rate to secondary school is 96.5%, while for Roma children the primary school completion rate is considerably lower - 63%, while the numbers for secondary school for Roma youngsters is even lower - 55.5%. Illiteracy rates range between age groups from 13.7% amongst adolescents to 57.2% among the elderly. Romani women are extremely disadvantaged when it comes to education achievements; illiteracy is estimated to reach up to 80%.
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Keywords: Italy; Roma; human rights; civil and political rights; hate speech; violence; discrimination; segregation;
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) submits this parallel report to the Human Rights Committee reporting country-specific information on issues affecting Roma in Italy that raise questions under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The present report describes the current situation regarding two of the most serious human rights abuses of Roma in Italy – the residential segregation of Roma and hate speech and violence against Roma.
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Keywords: Serbia; Roma; Romani children; human rights; education; segregation; policy; special schools; stat care; identity documents; birth registration;
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and Praxis respectfully submit their written comments concerning Serbia for consideration by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) at its Concluding Observations of the 74th Session, which will be held from 16 January to 3 February 2017. The ERRC and Praxis have undertaken regular monitoring of the human rights situation of Roma in Serbia and this report reflects the current priorities in our work in Serbia. According to current official estimates, Roma in Serbia make up approximately 2.05% of the total population or 147,604 Roma. This makes Roma the second largest minority after Hungarians. However, a verified and accurate count remains elusive. Unofficial sources suggest that the number of Roma in Serbia is significantly higher, ranging between 250,000 to 500,000. In addition to the autochthonous groups, approximately 4,000 –50,000 Roma fled during and after the conflict in Kosovo to Serbia; only half of whom registered as internally displaced persons (IDPs). However, it is not known if all of them remained in Serbia or left for destinationsin Western Europe. Furthermore, thousands of Roma have been returned to Serbia from Western Europeancountries in the last years as failed asylum seekers; including Roma who were originally from Kosovo.Roma are the youngest ethnic group in Serbia. The average age is 27.5 years, compared to 40.2 years among the general Serbian population. According to UNICEF, the primary school completion rate for non-Roma children is 94.5% and the transition rate to secondary school is 96.5%, while for Roma children the primary school completion rate considerably lower - 63%, while the numbers for secondary school for Roma youngsters is even lower - 55.5%. Illiteracy rates range between age groups from 13.7% amongst adolescents to 57.2% among the elderly. Romani women are extremely disadvantaged when it comes to education achievements; illiteracy is estimated to reach up to 80%.
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Keywords: Montenegro; human rights; Roma; women; discrimination; health; forced marriage; education;
This list of critical issues is presented by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) to assist the 67th PreSession Working Group with country specific information on issues affecting Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian women in relation to Montenegro. According to Montenegrin census data from 2011, 8,305 individuals indicated that they were Roma or Egyptians, out of which men make 51.1 percent and women make 48.8 percent. The Council of Europe estimates that there are 20,000 Roma (including Ashkali and Egyptians) in Montenegro.
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Keywords: Italy; Roma; human rights; segregation; Roma communities; evictions; violence; hate speech;
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) is a Roma-led international public interest law organisation which monitors the human rights of Roma in Europe and provides legal defence in cases of human rights violations. The ERRC is deeply concerned at the lack of progress made by Italian authorities since CERD issued its concluding observations on Italy in 2012 with specific reference to the committee’s detailed recommendations concerning the situation of Roma and Sinti. The committee rebuked Italy for its targeted evictions, and its de facto segregation of Roma communities in poorly equipped camps. Italy was requested to provide effective remedies to Roma and Sinti for the negative impact of the emergency decrees, and to consult with these communities in the development of programs directed at them. No progress has been made with regards to this request, and the submission provides evidence that the situation has actually worsened. This submission also finds that CERD’s calls for stronger efforts to combat and punish both racist violence and pervasive hate speech directed at Roma, Sinti and non-citizens have yet to be adequately addressed.
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Keywords: Romania; Roma; human rights; Romani children; education; discrimination; housing;
The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) respectfully submits a list of issues concerning Romania for consideration by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) at its pre-sessional Working Group for the 75th Session, which will be held from 3rd to 7th October 2016. The ERRC has undertaken regular monitoring of the human rights situation of Roma in Romania and this list of issues reflects the current priorities in our work in Romania. According to current unofficial estimates, Roma in Romania make up approximately 9% of the population (approximately 1,850,000). However, a verified and accurate count remains elusive. According to the final results of the 2011 Census of the Population and Households published on 4 July 2013 by the National Statistics Institute, Romania had a total population of 20.12 million. Among the 18.88 million respondents who self-reported their ethnicity, 621,600 were Roma (3.3%, an increase from 2.46% in the 2002 census). Deeply entrenched anti-Roma attitudes can be vividly seen in the annual surveys carried out by the National Council for Combating Discrimination: in 20053 61% of respondents thought that Roma were a source of shame for Romania, while 52% of respondents went further to say that Roma should not be allowed to travel outside the country. These attitudes have not improved much: in 20134 48% of respondents said that they did not want a Romani work colleague, 41% would not want a Romani neighbour, and 38% would not want any Roma in their municipality. Public authorities are not insulated from these wide-spread and pernicious attitudes; in the absence of robust safeguards these attitudes may translate into violations of the Convention.
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