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Commentary: The difficult path to integrating Czech Roma

8.2.2013 1:11, (ROMEA) The dismal housing situation, long-term unemployment, a high percentage of Romani children educated in the "practical primary schools" (special schools), and numerous incidents of anti-Romani sentiment, including demonstrations, in many towns throughout the Czech Republic: All of this shows that the process of integrating Romani people into society is markedly failing in practice. The living conditions and social situations of many Romani families continue to significantly intensify.  full story

Czech Television reports case of successful Romani integration in France

Aubervilliers, France, 8.2.2013 0:54, (ROMEA) Czech television reported last month that the municipality of Aubervilliers in France has "found the formula" for integrating Romani people there. For five years the administrative bodies of the Paris suburb have been trying to correct various problems linked to the municipality's rising population of Romani immigrants from Romania.  full story

The ERRC submits its reports to the UN

Budapest, Hungary, 7.2.2013 11:26, (ROMEA) The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is monitoring the implementation of the homonymous convention. Their task is to investigate the racial inequality and non-discrimination. In this framework, the ERRC (European Roma Rights Centre) has handed in its parallel report concerning Slovakia. The Committee is holding the session in which this report should be considered at the 82nd Session that will takes place from the 11th February to the 1st March 2013.
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Analysis: High emotions no help in housing drama

Ústí nad Labem, 6.2.2013 19:03, (ROMEA) The recently resolved case of the residential hotel occupants in the Krásné Březno quarter of Ústí nad Labem is a clear example of something we are all aware of: The dismissive approach taken toward Romani people in this country is often based on the social positions of those involved and the sense of superiority felt by those who are better off. During this recent scandal, the situation of people who are some of the very poorest in this country was spun by the Romani owner of the building in the Předlice quarter which they had to evacuate, by the town government (in the hands of the Czech Social Democrats - ČSSD), by the Romani operator of the residential hotel, and by the firm owning the building in which it was located. Unfortunately, some NGOs also spun their story as well.  full story

Survey shows Poles like Czechs most, Romani people least

Warsaw, 5.2.2013 17:25, (ROMEA) The results of a public opinion poll released yesterday in Poland show that the Czech nation is so well-liked that it was the only group to receive more than a 50 % approval rating. The Czechs came in first at 51 % and, according to the Polish Press Agency, have done so for the third time in a row.  full story

Housing for All: We charge the system with failure and incompetence

Ústí nad Labem, 4.2.2013 23:46, (ROMEA) An improvised press conference of the Housing for All initiative (Bydlení pro všechny) took place this afternoon in front of the residential hotel in the Krásné Březno quarter of Ústí nad Labem. News server Romea.cz is publishing in full translation below a declaration that was read at that event.  full story

Czech town official alleges housing rights activists "just wanted publicity"

Ústí nad Labem, 4.2.2013 22:33, (ROMEA) Activists from the Housing for All (Bydlení pro všechny) initiative celebrated today as the last remaining tenants of a residential hotel in Ústí nad Labem prepared to move to better housing. The move ends a drama that has been unfolding since the fall, one that has the potential to repeat itself on a much larger scale in the future.  full story

Czech practical primary schools to be transformed, not closed

Prague, 4.2.2013 17:33, (ROMEA) Deputy Education Minister Jiří Nantl says "practical primary schools" in the Czech Republic will not be closed as many fear, but that it is necessary to transform them as per a European Court of Human Rights judgment so that pupils are not enrolled into such schools simply because they come from socially disadvantaged environments. Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner Monika Šimůnková told a public hearing in the Czech Senate today that the schools must be transformed.  full story

Czech initiative finds housing for Romani residential hotel evictees

Ústí nad Labem, 4.2.2013 16:43, (ROMEA) The Romani families evacuated from the Předlice quarter of Ústí nad Labem who remained in the residential hotel on Čelakovského street in the Krásné Březno quarter after its closure have all found new housing. The families have started moving into properties in the the Klíše quarter that were found for them by the Housing for All (Bydlení pro všechny) initiative.  full story

Czech initiative: Residential hotel tenants need rapid assistance

Ústí nad Labem, 2.2.2013 20:38, (ROMEA) News server Romea.cz is translating in full below a press release from the Housing for All (Bydlení pro všechny) initiative on the current situation at the residential hotel in the Krásné Březno quarter of Ústí nad Labem. According to information from one of the Romani tenants, everyone occupying the residential hotel must move out by Tuesday at the very latest. Of course, everyone is now sleeping in the cold at the property because the heat has been disconnected.  full story

How Romani people are living in Ostrava, Czech Republic

Ostrava, 2.2.2013 19:12, (ROMEA) The photographs that follow are from Ostrava today. Near the main train station a memorial to Holocaust victims was erected a while back. Its dominant feature, a Star of David, is comprised of several separate elements, as you can see in the photographs.  full story

Czech initiative says town must take responsibility for evictees

Ústí nad Labem, 2.2.2013 0:54, (ROMEA) The Housing for All initiative (Iniciativa Bydlení pro všechny), which is assisting people living at the residential hotel on Čelakovského street in Ústí nad Labem, is calling on the owner of that property, the CPI Byty company, to reconnect electricity and water service to the building and extend the rental contract held by those occupying it. Families with children remain at the residential hotel who have not yet been able to find acceptable accommodation into which to move. The occupants of the residential hotel have been supported by Czech Helsinki Committee chair Anna Šabatová and former presidential candidate Táňa Fischerová. News server Romea.cz publishes a full translation of the initiative's latest press release, first released in Czech on 1 February at 10:45 CET, below.  full story

Situation of Native Americans similar to that of Czech Roma

Portland/New York, USA, 2.2.2013 0:37, (ROMEA) David Beňák, Patrik Banga and David Tišer, three civically active Romani men from the Czech Republic, are participating in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in the United States of America. Their visit will last approximately three weeks and will include several American cities where they will meet with representatives of organizations implementing interesting projects in the area of human rights, community work, and minority rights advocacy.  full story

Utilities cut to occupied residential hotel in Czech town

Ústí nad Labem, 1.2.2013 17:03, (ROMEA) The situation of the very poorest people living at the residential hotel on Čelakovského street in the Czech town of Ústí nad Labem remains critical. The CPI Byty company, which owns the building in the Krásné Březno quarter, has ended its contract with the business leasing it. This morning an extended deadline by which the people living in the building were to move out expired with people still in the building - not just the occupants themselves, but also activists from the Housing for All initiative (Iniciativa Bydlení pro všechny) who came to help them. In a press release, the town of Ústí has stated that the families got themselves into this bad situation through their own actions.  full story

Slovakia: Košice is the European Capital of Culture 2013

Košice, Slovakia, 1.2.2013 13:08, (ROMEA) Košice is, after Bratislava, the second biggest city in Slovakia. It is not really that popular in terms of tourism but this is about to change. Košice is, together with Marseille, the European Capital of Culture 2013. Part of Košice’s culture should also be defined by the Romany culture as about 5.000 Roma are living in this city.  full story

Czech Housing for All initiative: We won't allow families to be split up

1.2.2013 3:31, (ROMEA) The Housing for All initiative has issued the following press release, which news server Romea.cz is publishing in full translation:  full story

Czech NGO: Some evicted families rejected housing options without giving a reason

1.2.2013 2:57, (ROMEA) The organization People in Need (Člověk v tísni) has issued a press release claiming that some families now being evicted from the residential hotel on Čelakovského street in Ústí nad Labem were assisted by their staffers with finding substitute accommodation and allegedly rejected the options offered to them. News server Romea.cz is publishing the press release below in full translation:  full story

The European Court of Human Rights decided: the placement of Roma children in schools for mentally disabled is discriminatory

Strasbourg, France, 31.1.2013 16:16, (ROMEA) The claim was that there is a systemic misdiagnosis of Roma children as mentally disabled which was going on since at least the 1970s. The Hungarian government was accused to use this as a tool to segregate Roma children form non-Roma children.  full story

videoCzech firm to evict residential hotel tenants tonight

Ústí nad Labem, 31.1.2013 14:55, (ROMEA) The situation at the residential hotel on Čelakovského street in the Krásné Březno quarter of Ústí nad Labem is escalating. The CPI Byty company, which owns the residential hotel, previously announced it would be shutting the building down today. Now the firm has posted a letter to the tenants on a bulletin board there informing them that unless they move out by 19:00 CET today, the company will intervene against them tomorrow morning.  full story

Canada: Why are the Hungarian Roma fleeing to Canada?

Canada, 31.1.2013 13:25, (ROMEA) The situation of the Roma in Hungary is indisputable very difficult and the reasons to leave the country are obvious. The discrimination of Roma takes place very publicly. This month there was a demonstration against the governing party because of anti-Romani commentaries. And also the living standards do not fulfill human right standards. But why do they choose Canada? A flight to Canada is about 1000 $ so it is very difficult for the Roma to get there, in fact they have to sell everything they own and that is not a lot.  full story