World

British concerns over influx of Bulgarians and Romanians said to be exaggerated

Brussels, Belgium, 10.4.2013 23:23, (ROMEA) The British Government has commissioned an independent study of immigration to Great Britain from Bulgaria and Romania and published the results on 5 April. The number of immigrants from Bulgaria and Romania should not significantly grow until the start of next year, when the last legal barriers to freedom of movement for those citizens are set to expire.  full story

Statement by Irish Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence on the occasion of International Roma Day

Brussels, 10.4.2013 10:42, (ROMEA) On International Roma Day, 8 April 2013, the Irish Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter TD, Chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, emphasised the importance of implementing the National Roma Integration Strategies, which were published in 2012.  full story

Brussels: AI stages eviction of Romani settlement on International Romani Day

Brussels, Belgium, 9.4.2013 16:55, (ROMEA) A “happening” portraying the forced eviction of a Romani settlement was staged yesterday in Brussels by the human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) in order to draw attention to the situation of Romani people in Europe. Yesterday the European Commission also emphasized that improving the situation of Romani people is one of the greatest challenges Europe faces.  full story

Czech Republic: Equal Opportunities Party calls for return to "romipen" on 8 April

Prague, 8.4.2013 22:33, (ROMEA) The Equal Opportunities Party (Strana rovných příležitostí - SRP) of the Czech Republic is calling on Romani people to come together to formulate their demands and see them through. News server Romea.cz publishes the party’s declaration in full below:  full story

International Roma Day: Commission calls for decisive action to further Roma integration

Brussels, 8.4.2013 15:45, (ROMEA) To mark International Roma Day, the European Commission has underlined the need for further efforts by the Member States to improve the situation for Roma communities in Europe. Despite efforts in the Member States towards Roma integration, much more progress has yet to be made at national level to fight discrimination and improve access for Roma to employment, education, housing and healthcare in particular.  full story

Amnesty International calls for an end to discrimination against Romani people in Europe

London/Prague, 6.4.2013 21:14, (ROMEA) On the occasion of International Romani Day on 8 April, Amnesty International (AI) is warning the European Union that it is not doing enough to end discrimination against Romani people in the Member States. The world’s largest human rights organization has launched a Europe-wide campaign called “Human Rights Here, Roma Rights Now”.  full story

Events scheduled for International Romani Day - 8 April 2013

Czech Republic, 1.4.2013 16:38, (ROMEA) On Monday, 8 April 2013 Romani people worldwide will celebrate International Romani Day. They will commemorate the historic first World Congress of the International Romani Union, which took place near London in 1971, primarily thanks to the initiative of Grattan Puxon and Donald Kenrick of Great Britain, Matéo Maximoff representing French Romani people (the Manouche), Jarko Jovanović of the former Yugoslavia, and other Romani individuals and Romani studies scholars.  full story

Czech Republic: Vietnamese mafia could spoil bid for national minority status

Prague, 30.3.2013 21:32, (ROMEA) Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, who chairs the Czech Government Council on National Minorities, is planning to submit a proposal to the Government to grant ethnic Belarussians and Vietnamese national minority status. There are 12 officially recognized national minorities in the Czech Republic.  full story

Serbia: Dead Romani youth found in Bečej, racial motivation not yet ruled out

Belgrade/Budapest, 28.3.2013 16:10, (ROMEA) In the early morning hours of Sunday, 17 March 2013, a dead 17-year-old Romani boy was found in the Serbian town of Bečej. The circumstances of his death are unclear and it is possible he was the victim of a racially motivated attack.  full story

videoWe Laugh Together, We Educate Together: A Hungarian Campaign on Inclusive Education

Budapest, 26.3.2013 11:10, (ROMEA) The Hungarian civil society organization UCCU Roma Informal Education Foundation recently launched a campaign film designed to raise awareness and encourage discussion on the issue of inclusive education in Hungary. The film offers an accessible way into the subject, and aims to combat the attitudes and prejudices that have resulted in a segregated and “closed” education system in Hungary.  full story

Amnesty International: Human rights here, Roma rights now!

Brussels, 26.3.2013 10:07, (ROMEA) Launch of campaign to end discrimination against Roma in Europe  full story

International focus: Roma people denied social housing in Italy

Rome, 23.3.2013 17:06, (ROMEA) Roma people in the Italian capital are being denied access to social housing – despite living in segregated and basic camps, far from facilities such as schools and hospitals. Rome's authorities have put in place regulations which prevent thousands of Roma, many of whom were born in Italy, from applying for public housing in a move which has angered human rights groups.  full story

France: Roma may file charges against Interior Minister for inciting hatred

Paris, 22.3.2013 15:52, (ROMEA) The Romani community of France is considering filing charges against Interior Minister Manuel Valls for incitement of racial hatred after he was quoted in the right-wing paper Le Figaro as saying that Romani people who come to live in France "obviously do not want to integrate into society". The community accuses the minister of targeting Romani people on the basis of their ethnicity and race.  full story

ENAR and UNITED for Intercultural Action: The charter for political parties for a non-racist society: a message for elections

Amsterdam/Brussels, 21.3.2013 13:40, (ROMEA) On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, ENAR and UNITED for Intercultural Action call upon political parties across Europe to re-affirm the principles of the Charter for political parties for a non-racist society and to speak clearly against racism and other forms of discrimination against minorities.  full story

ERIO: It is our collective obligation to combat anti-Gypsyism

Brussels, 21.3.2013 13:12, (ROMEA) On the International Day for the Elimination of Racism, ERIO would like to remind people and governments of the negative and destructive consequences of racial discrimination. History shows that racism is often a key ingredient in the development of violent conflict, and has been responsible for some of the worst atrocities committed by mankind.  full story

Joint Statement on International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Vienna, 21.3.2013 11:39, (ROMEA) he social fallout from the ongoing global economic crisis must not become an excuse to allow racism and prejudice to go unchecked, said Morten Kjaerum, Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and Eva Smith Asmussen, Chair of the Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), in a joint statement to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.  full story

Giving Roma people the opportunities they deserve as EU citizens

Brussels, 20.3.2013 0:29, (ROMEA) Never in recent history has a European minority been more neglected and discriminated against. For decades Roma people all across Europe have been faced with systematic discrimination and denied the most fundamental rights to decent living conditions and opportunities. The lack of integration of Roma is not new. EU member states have long expressed their concerns about the situation but lacked the political will to truly act on it.  full story

Council of Europe Congress launches the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion

Strasbourg, 20.3.2013 0:25, (ROMEA) A major priority of the Council of Europe, to improve the situation of Roma people, will move a step closer to being realised with the launch of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion during the 24th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.  full story

Roma Exclusion in Europe: Do you know? Do you care?

Brussels, 19.3.2013 23:48, (ROMEA) European Roma Grassroots Organizations Network (ERGO) staff and members walked out, last Friday, on a European Commission (EC) conference with the aim of signalling to the organizers and speakers that systematically ignoring Roma people and Roma experts during the process of formulation of policies targeting the Roma is unacceptable.  full story

videoBulgarian man shoots dead three Romani people before committing suicide

Sofia, Bulgaria, 19.3.2013 19:44, (ROMEA) On Monday evening in Sofia a man of Bulgarian nationality allegedly shot dead three members of a Romani family who were his neighbors before committing suicide. Media reports say the tragedy took place in a part of the capital predominantly inhabited by Romani residents.  full story