Tag Archives: Discrimination

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Discrimination in Slovakia

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According to the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Slovakia must take the necessary measures to eliminate discrimination and segregation of Roma children in education.

The annual report of Amnesty International Slovakia (AIS) for the year 2022 states that in 2022, systemic discrimination against Roma continued in Slovakia. Roma children are systematically denied the right to education and protection from discrimination in primary education. Investigations into inappropriate use of police force are insufficient.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Teachers and Diversity

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At the end of a five day visit to the Czech Republic, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic did not mince her words and stated that the country needed to do more to stop discrimination against Roma. She also added that schooling is all too often still segregated and that the prejudices of the teachers and staff against Roma need to be addressed.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Republic: Visit

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The President elect of the Czech Republic visited a Roma housing estate and stated that social exclusion needs to be addressed.

This is new in the Czech Republic and a breath of fresh air.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Roma and the Judicial System

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Another article in the Slovak press about the bias that Roma face in the judicial system.

Anti-Roma racism is not only widespread in society, Roma are discriminated against at all levels of criminal proceedings. This follows from research reports published by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC). The report states that accused Roma face discrimination at every stage of criminal proceedings by the police, judges, prosecutors and often their own defence lawyers.

Germany News Western Europe

Germany, the Catholic Church, and Roma

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Munich Archbishop Cardinal Reinhard Marx wants to conduct a review of the historical responsibility of the Catholic Church for the persecution of the Sinti and Rom during the Nazi. Marx visited the documentation and cultural centre of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma.

The visit also dealt in particular with the role of the then Archbishop of Munich, Cardinal Michael Faulhaber (1869-1952) and his attitude towards Sinti and Roma.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

ERRC Reports

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Two reports by the European Roma Right Centre highlight the discrimination of Roma in the justice systems of both the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Germany News Western Europe

Germany: Really???

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A Sinti centre in Elle, Germany, received a letter from the accident insurance. So far nothing really special. But the letter was addressed to the “Kindergarten in the social hotspot of Gypsy square”. Not really politically correct. No one know how this happened. And frankly, how did the letter arrive in the right place???

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czech Republic: Demonstration

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In the Stodolní Street in the center of Ostrava in the eastern part of the country, about a hundred Roma demonstrated in the early evening on Wednesday. They protested against the fact that security guards of some bars in this area allegedly physically attack Roma visitors for no reason, and the police allegedly do nothing about this violence. The crowd reached the nearby police station.

The event was called by Roma activist David Mezei. “There were two such cases in January alone, when the security guard beat up a young visitor for no reason just because he is Rom. It doesn’t work like that anymore. The police only save money, but they never investigate anything,” Mezei was angry, with other participants of the demonstration shouting in agreement.

News Western Europe United Kingdom

The Church and Roma

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The Church of England took a positive step and recognized that the church played a significant role in anti-Roma racism.  When are the other churches (and also non-Christian denominations) going to do the same?

Germany News Western Europe

Germany: Documentary

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The members of the Schwarz family sit on the couch or camping chairs and talk about the past and present of antiziganism. Many of her grandparents were deported under the Nazis. While the contemporary witnesses have already died or have not returned from the camps, the traumatic experiences live on in the stories and return in antiziganism insults and violence in German schoolyards.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland and Roma

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An article about the life of Romnja in Poland and their constant fight against stereotypes. This is presented through interviews with two Polish Romnja, one who stile lives in a traditional way (whatever that may effectively mean) and one which doesn’t.

But the stereotypes are the same: Dirty thieves.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Discrimination

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The case of a waitress who refused to serve Roma in a bar in Černelavc. Apparently, the waitress made no secret of her disregard towards Roma. Her and the bar’s lawyer argued that she thought one of the three Roma she refused to serve had been involved in a brawl the day before in the bar, which proved to be untrue.

The bar and waitress lost the case.

Europe

ERGO Report

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A report was published by the European network of Roma organizations ERGO, and was recently presented by the Swedish politician Soraya Post. The prominent Roma activist was a member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019. The current report, among other things, shows that in the field of health care, Roma do not have the same treatment as others. Thus, 22 percent of members of the Roma community suffer from chronic diseases, and every fourth person does not have health insurance. These data come from national studies and confirm that Roma have more difficult access to health care in several EU countries.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia ad Roma

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Around two hundred Roma live in the municipality of Šentjernej in several settlements – on Trdinova cesta in Šentjernej, Mihovica, Draškovec, Roje and Drama. They were represented in the municipal council by Darka Brajdič for two terms, but this year she decided not to run for the post of Roma councillor.

She  says without hesitation what bothers her about her work so far in the Šentjernej municipal council:

“I was not heard, much less considered. In the last mandate, the current mayor has never been among the Roma, he does not know how they live, what needs and opportunities they have. In our municipality, Roma families are not treated the same as others, they even oppose Roma if they want to do something themselves.”

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