Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Housing in Serbia

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Housing in Serbia

A significant number of Roma in Serbia live in informal and substandard settlements, lacking access to basic utilities and safe living conditions, prompting YUROM Center to call for prioritizing housing solutions for Roma by state and local institutions.

On International Housing Day, YUROM Center emphasizes that adequate housing remains unattainable for many Roma families and is a matter of human rights and Serbia’s European integration.

The organization urges authorities to prioritize housing issues for Roma through investments in infrastructure, social housing, and measures to prevent further segregation, asserting that adequate housing is essential for dignity and equal participation in society.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Forced Evictions

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Forced Evictions

The forced eviction of Roma families from their homes in Bulgaria leads to severe long-term consequences, worsening social isolation and vulnerability, especially for children.

A report by the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee highlights that 90% of eviction orders since 2012 target Roma homes, despite widespread illegal construction across all ethnic groups.

The report calls for legislative changes to ensure protections against arbitrary evictions and emphasizes the need for social housing policies and training for authorities on housing rights.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Roma Press Centre

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Roma Press Centre

The Roma Press Centre (RSK) is set to move into a space previously occupied by Radio C, with a unanimous decision from the City Assembly to lease the space at a 66.6% discount for 5+5 years.

RSK aims to create a Roma civil center that will host other organizations and media initiatives, promoting collaboration rather than subletting the space.

https://rroma.org/wp-admin/post-new.phpThe center will focus on Roma community issues, with plans to establish a full-time editorial team and produce content that addresses topics often overlooked by mainstream media.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovak Teachers

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Slovak Teachers

 Teachers in Slovakia face complex challenges beyond just delivering lessons, often acting as psychologists, mediators, and advocates for their students, especially in classrooms with high numbers of marginalized Roma students.

A recent study found that while teachers in these environments experience significant stress, the presence of Roma students alone does not correlate directly with increased burnout; rather, it is the additional responsibilities and lack of support that contribute to their stress.

The study emphasizes the need for more support for teachers, such as the presence of educational assistants, to help them manage their expanded roles and ensure quality education for all students.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbian Elections and Roma

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Serbian Elections and Roma

The Roma Party claims that socially vulnerable citizens and Roma were pressured to attend a pre-election rally of the SNS in Belgrade, raising concerns about the exploitation of vulnerable groups in elections.

The extraordinary parliamentary elections scheduled for October 25 are expected to be a marathon, according to Srđan Šajn, president of the Roma Party, citing sources close to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

Šajn claims that the SNS will employ a strategy of ‘exhaustion’ by repeating elections at many polling stations, undermining the will of the citizens.

On the other side, Vučić’s team in Bujanovac, led by prominent Roma community representative Ibro Idić, is actively campaigning for the SNS party ahead of elections.

The team has set up a stand in a predominantly Roma neighborhood to present their plans and assist citizens with state aid applications.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Dimitar Georgiev

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Dimitar Georgiev

Dimitar Georgiev is a Roma activist, filmmaker, and producer known for his work on Roma rights and culture.

He is a co-founder of the ‘Human Rights Project’ and has participated in initiatives aimed at protecting civil rights and combating discrimination.

Georgiev discusses the history, culture, and contemporary life of the Roma community in Europe, highlighting the work of French director Tony Gatlif.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Manifestation

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Manifestation

Residents of the “Iztok” Roma neighbourhood in Kyustendil—home to 15,000 people—organized a “Say No to Drugs!” protest. Locals report a rising number of drug addicts, including entire families, as well as an increase in fatalities. The protesters called for institutional intervention to ensure more neighborhood residents are enrolled in drug rehabilitation programs.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

City of Pain

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City of Pain

The autobiographical bestseller “City of Pain” is set to be adapted into a television series, with filming already underway in Belgrade.

Author Meti Kamberi, a Rom from Niš and a longtime journalist of the Kurir, spent four years developing the script, transforming his most intimate memories into a story for the screen. The series is directed by Luka Mihailović and produced by TS Media and Miloš Avramović’s Režim, highlighting Kamberi’s challenging upbringing in Niš.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Recruitment Office

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Recruitment Office

An incident occurred in Khust, Transcarpathia, Ukraine, where a man opened fire near a military recruitment center and attempted to enter the building, prompting a swift police response.

The man fired several shots into the air with a starter pistol before trying to breach the facility, but was apprehended by law enforcement on the scene.

No injuries were reported, and the individual was charged with minor hooliganism after the event.

It was apparently a Rom.

Lithuania News Eastern Europe

“Gypsy Fest”

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“Gypsy Fest”

The recent International “Gypsy Fest” in Vilnius was a colorful highlight of the Folk Fair, celebrating its 10th anniversary with performances from various artists and groups from Lithuania and other countries.

Notable performances included the famous SARE ROMA group and ensembles from Latvia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Germany, and Serbia, showcasing the rich culture of the Roma.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovak Roma Projects

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Slovak Roma Projects

A total of €335,845,065 was utilized last year to implement the action plan for the Strategy for Roma Equality, Inclusion, and Participation up to 2030. This is according to the monitoring report on the implementation of the action plans for the Strategy for Roma Equality, Inclusion, and Participation up to 2030 for the year 2025. The government is scheduled to review the document on Wednesday, October 7.

The Government Office of the Slovak Republic, which is submitting the report, specifies in the document that out of 159 activities designated for 2025, ten were successfully completed, 125 were in the implementation phase, 22 were in preparation, and two were assessed as unfulfilled. These tasks related to the field of education—specifically, supporting the acquisition of the Slovak language by pupils from Roma communities via their mother tongue through the creation of innovative teaching materials, and implementing activities to help pupils (including those from marginalized Roma communities) attain secondary vocational education.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Job Market

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Job Market

The United School in Čaklov is launching a project aimed at helping disadvantaged students integrate into the job market, with a budget of over 315,000 euros over 32 months.

The initiative will collaborate with a civic association working with Roma communities and a private sector representative providing vocational training. The project aims to strengthen social inclusion, connect education with practical skills, and create a pilot model for a simulated school integration social enterprise.

It will be interesting to see how many disadvantaged” students, aka Roma will find a job. One could then say if this was an efficient use of the money.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Corruption?

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Corruption?

Former Hungarian cultural minister Balázs Hankó has been accused of misusing cultural funding to support his political campaign, particularly through a grant to a Roma cultural organization.

The Roma Inkubator Cultural and Artistic Association, led by István Jakab, distributed gift cards to voters in support of Hankó’s candidacy shortly before the elections.

Following the controversy, police investigated Jakab for potential electoral misconduct, and the association later declined a significant grant from Hankó due to the scandal.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Roma in Serbia

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Roma in Serbia

The president of the Roma Party, Srđan Šajn, criticized a recent rally by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Belgrade, claiming it incited violence against socially vulnerable groups, including Roma.

Šajn alleged that many attendees were pressured to attend the rally and were given shirts to conceal their true social status.

He urged socially vulnerable individuals, including Roma, to vote for freedom and equality in the upcoming elections, emphasizing the importance of their voices in achieving social justice.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Kostadin Kostadinov

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Kostadin Kostadinov

Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the political party ‘Vazrazhdane’ and presidential candidate, attended a peaceful protest in the Sofia neighborhood of Lyulin, organized by local residents.

The protest was in response to illegal Roma communities causing disturbances, including harassment and public disorder, affecting the residents’ quality of life and had nothing to do with the protest from Roma about loan sharks.

News Eastern Europe Romania

Romania – Conference

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Romania – Conference

The National Agency for Roma, in partnership with the National Center for Roma Culture “Romano Kher”, organized a series of conferences in Dolj County focused on the historical slavery of Roma and the need for reconciliation through recognition and reparative policies.

The event lasted three days and aimed to shed light on this aspect of history.

Additionally, there will be a discussion about the life and work of Lucian Raicu, a Romanian critic and writer of Jewish descent, in the segment “A book…a minority.”

News Eastern Europe Romania

Roma Students and Police …

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Roma Students and Police …

In the Maramureș County for the 2026-2027 school year, there are 3,872 Roma students enrolled, including 306 high school students.

During the computer allocation process on July 16, 40 candidates were assigned to places specifically allocated for Roma students, with four coming from other counties.

The local prefecture is actively disseminating information about admission opportunities to Roma communities, with online registration open until October 4, 2026.

Cristina Moldovan, a representative of the Maramureș County Prefecture, also presented information provided by the Maramureș County Police Inspectorate regarding the allocation of places for Roma candidates in the admission competitions for two educational institutions.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

King Credit

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King Credit

A gang known as King Credit in the “Lyulin” Roma neighbourhood in Sofia is reportedly terrorizing the local Roma population by offering small loans with exorbitant interest rates, leading to violence and threats of murder when debts are unpaid.

Victims have shared harrowing accounts of physical abuse, public humiliation, and threats to their lives, indicating a systematic pattern of exploitation targeting the most vulnerable individuals.

Authorities have received multiple reports about King Credit’s activities, and there is a growing movement among the community to speak out against these abuses.

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Bulgarian Roma in France

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Bulgarian Roma in France

The Bulgarian Roma community in Moissac, France, is in conflict with local authorities, primarily due to issues of integration and social welfare abuse, as highlighted by Mayor Romain Lopez (Rassemblement National – an extreme right party).

The mayor has increased police presence and surveillance to control gatherings of the community, while community members feel targeted and discriminated against, claiming they must hide their origins to find work.

Tensions are rising as the local population perceives the Bulgarian community as a burden on social services, with some locals preferring workers from other countries, and the upcoming presidential elections may further exacerbate these issues.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbian Elections

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Serbian Elections

Srđan Šajn, President of the Roma Party, stated today that the party would support the “Students Win” (Studenti pobeđuju) electoral list in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Almost all anti-regime parties have supported the student list, indicating a collective effort towards establishing a rule of law that amplifies the voices of marginalized groups, including the Roma community.

The decision to support the student list is framed as a matter of honor and responsibility, emphasizing the importance of integrity in political representation.

The statement highlights a commitment to defending the dignity of Roma in Serbia, advocating for their right to vote without compromising their values.

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