World-Roma-Day (April 8): Roma in Southeast Europe still systematically discriminated and excluded

On the occasion of the International Romani Day (April 8), the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) would like to draw attention to the systematic discrimination and exclusion of members of this minority group, which continues to this day – especially in South Eastern Europe. Together with Romani organizations from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Albania, the human rights organization appealed to Germany and the governments of Western Europe to finally recognize the Romani people as equal citizens and to condemn the widespread racism. This is considered as the only possible approach to reduce flight and migration of the Romani people.

“The history and culture of the Romani have been part of European history and culture for hundreds of years. That is why we do not only expect a dialogue with the Romani at eye level, but also effective measures against the omnipresent antiziganism in the West Balkans, which is the main cause of flight and migration,” says the STP’s appeal. The South-East European governments should be urged and actively encouraged to put an end to the structural discrimination against the Romani people and to give them access to adequate housing, employment, education, and medical care.

According to the STP, most of the Romani living in the West Balkans are illiterate, which is why they are hardly able to get permanent jobs – so they often have to live on occasional work, on begging, and on collecting food from garbage containers. Their barrack settlements often don’t have electricity or water, and they are often located on the outskirts of the cities. The hygienic conditions are often catastrophic. Roma children rarely have birth certificates or residence papers, so they are exposed to the risk of being abused or becoming victims of human trafficking. In the 1990s, the Romani in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo became victims of the most serious human rights violations. In the Bosnian constitution, they are not even recognized as an individual ethnic group.

According to the STP, it is an “unacceptable hardship” that long-suffering Romani families were expelled from Germany to the West Balkans, among them many children and elderly people. Because of the disturbing conditions there, many of them will try to flee again in order to survive. Thus, many Romani are being forced into a cycle of permanent migration and illegality.

The World Romani Day is held on April 8th because the first World Roma Congress took place in London on this day in 1971, with Romani representatives from 25 countries. In 1981, the STP had organized the Third World Romani Congress in Göttingen.

Header Photo: STP-Archive