Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma

Published by:

Slovakia and Roma

The Slovak opposition SaS criticized the government for failures in the area of ​​marginalized Roma communities. According to the member of the National Council (NR) of the Slovak Republic Vladimír Ledecký (SaS), the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities (ÚSVRK) has poor results and the action plans for the inclusion of Roma for the years 2025-2027 do not solve their real problems. The ÚSVRK rejects the criticism.

Hungary News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Hungary and Transcarpathian Roma

Published by:

Hungary and Transcarpathian Roma

On Wednesday, February 12, the Metropolitan Court in Hungary ruled on the lawsuit of Transcarpathian families, who were evicted from shelters in August 2024 after the Hungarian government’s decision to limit assistance to Ukrainians from non-frontline regions. The court ordered the state to initiate a new procedure for granting asylum to 84 Ukrainian refugees from Transcarpathia.

Astonishing when you know Hungary.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Transcarpathian Roma

Published by:

Transcarpathian Roma

An unusual article about Roma in the Ukrainian Transcarpathian region. It states that over 10’000 Roma have left the region, and that the rest is living under difficult conditions. Journalists from the website zaholovok.com.ua talked with Myroslav Horvat, leader of the Roma community, Ivan Jonash, deputy of the Mukachevo City Council, and Viktor Ilchak, a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, about what the past year was like for the Roma community, whether changes are felt, whether there are positive developments, as well as about the negatives.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine and Roma Registration

Published by:

Ukraine and Roma Registration

Ukraine is pushing forward registering and issuing papers to its Roma minority. For very long, this did not happen. Now they need soldiers…

Yes, it is equal opportunity as the article says, but … You also have to appreciate the traditional Ukrainian shirt on the illustration.

In January 2025, thanks to the employees of the Shostka Department of the Migration Service, a 14-year-old citizen of Roma nationality received an ID card for the first time.

North Macedonia

North Macedonia and Roma

Published by:

North Macedonia and Roma

An interview with Aziza Sally, coordinator of the association “Initiative for the Rights of Roma Women from Shuto Orizari”. She says that since the pandemic, not a single patronage nurse has visited a mother from the Roma community. Roma women have been facing the same problems in the country for decades – from discrimination in the educational process to institutional belittling and humiliation.

Bad.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Forced Sterilisations

Published by:

Czechia: Forced Sterilisations

Sixty-five-year-old Jarmila Adiová from Jirkov near Chomutov, who has applied for compensation for forced sterilisations tells about what happened to her. She said “First, social workers came to me and constantly checked how I was taking care of our five sons. They went to school and everything was fine. I was pregnant at the time and expecting a girl. The social workers threatened me that if I didn’t have an abortion, they would take my children away.”

The office in charge of granting compensation is working so slowly that the deadline for applciations will be missed by many if a new law proposal to extend it by two years is not voted soon.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma Musicians

Published by:

Roma Musicians

How to make a documentary film not about Roma musicians, but with Roma musicians? This is what ethnomusicologist Petr Nuska thought about. For many years, he knew musicians from central Slovakia and they wanted to create their own music videos. So he helped them create the video clips, the Roma musicians themselves took on the roles of directors, and Petr Nuska then made a film about the film. The feature-length documentary is called Hopa lide and was filmed with its author by Jana Šustová.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma

Published by:

Slovakia and Roma

A third of those surveyed in Slovakia openly express negative attitudes towards Roma, while only five percent have the opposite attitude. Another 61 percent expressed neutrality. Residents of eastern Slovakia and the Bratislava region are particularly critical. This is according to a December survey by the Focus agency for the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities (ÚSVRK).

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Restaurants, and Roma …

Published by:

Slovakia, Restaurants, and Roma …

Roma activist Viktor Duda, an employee of the Sabinovský municipal office, was unable to sit in the restaurant with a friend and two other members of the civil order service on Friday evening. The waitress told them that all the tables were occupied.

They were supposed to meet with the city councilor there. He arrived at the restaurant after them with two other friends – and a table was found for them.

The restaurant owner claims this was not discrimination ….

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Segregated Schools

Published by:

Segregated Schools

The education of children from Roma communities in Slovakia has long been on the fringes of public interest. The Ministry of Education recently announced a pilot project of a national school in the village of Rakúsy, which is to allow Roma children to be educated in their mother tongue. However, this step has sparked a debate about whether it will lead to a deepening of segregation.

Well, for us, this is clear. It is segregation and the results will not be good.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

For once …

Published by:

For once …

On Monday, February 10, in Bratislava, a 24 years woman on a bicycle was attacked by 40-year-old man with a knife who also threatened other passerby’s.

The attacker turned out to be Polish, and the rescuers, Roma… The victim was helped by a group of Roma who managed to pacify the attacker.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Tragedy

Published by:

Slovakia: Tragedy

A 28-year-old man was burned to death in the centre of Gelnica on Sunday morning, and succumbed to his injuries on Monday (February 10). The police have opened a criminal investigation into the crime of assault. According to their findings so far, the man’s clothes were intentionally set on fire by a minor.

Slovak Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities Alexander Daško instructed field workers in his office to investigate the circumstances of Sunday’s tragedy as apparently, both the victim and the perpetrator were Roma.

Bad.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Housing

Published by:

Slovakia and Housing

Unimo cells (Container houses) in the Roma ghetto in Žilina have their best years behind them. The city therefore wants to take action. It plans to repair a destroyed apartment building in the area. The Red Cross, which does not like segregation, is against it.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Integration or Emancipation

Published by:

Czechia: Integration or Emancipation

An interview with František Lacko, a Roma activist from Czechia. He says that Roma do not need to integrate, but to emancipate. Integration is just parasitism of non-profit organizations. Non-profit organizations only do what they can get in grants. They are interest groups and mainly family businesses. Integration costs millions a year.

He has a point, as NGOs do have a conflict of interest: If the problems they aim to tackle are solved, so is their “raison d’être”.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Interview

Published by:

Slovakia: Interview

An interview with a Romani university graduate. Katarína Pompová, who is a specialist in the implementation of social and legal protection measures and social guardianship says that if you believe in your abilities, you can do anything and that there are more and more Roma studying at universities.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia: Inclusion

Published by:

Serbia: Inclusion

The social inclusion of Roma is one of the key challenges and priorities in Belgrade, and institutional support plays a crucial role in achieving long-term changes. In an interview with our portal, the Deputy President of the Belgrade City Assembly Igor Jovanović emphasizes that the city authorities are facing an important period in which concrete measures will be adopted to improve the position of the Roma community.

Let’s see what comes out of it …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Roma Doctor

Published by:

Slovakia: Roma Doctor

Ján Deme (31) from Klenovec is one of the few Romani doctors in Slovakia. With perseverance, courage and ambition, he proves that even people from marginalized groups can make it really far.

Europe News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland and Roma

Published by:

Poland and Roma

The European Court of Human Rights found that the demolition of a Roma settlement in 2015 by the city of Wrocław violated the European Convention on Human Rights. A complaint against the Polish authorities was filed by Roma, citizens of Romania.

On July 22, 2015, the city of Wrocław liquidated the Roma settlement on Paprotna Street. At the time of the demolition, the settlement consisted of five buildings. The families (adults and children) had been living in the settlement since 2009. The complaint to the ECtHR was filed in early 2016.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia and Roma

Published by:

Serbia and Roma

In Serbia, the Roma minority occupies a special place. Recognized as one of the largest Roma communities in Europe, this population faces many challenges, but also unique opportunities in a society in constant transformation. Between traditions, integration and modernity, the Roma in Serbia illustrate both the difficulties and the potential of a minority that aspires to play an active role in the development of the country.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Forced Sterilisation

Published by:

Czech Forced Sterilisation

Two articles in the French press about the forced sterilisations of Romnja in the Czech Republic.

rroma.org
en_GBEN
de_DEDE fr_FRFR en_GBEN