Tag Archives: Integration

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia, Roma, and Unemployment

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Slovenia, Roma, and Unemployment

The Municipality of Kočevje in Slovenia is investing extensive and long-term efforts in Roma integration, especially in the field of preschool education, but Mayor Gregor Košir warns that without changes at the state level there will be no real breakthrough. He says “As long as it is not worth it for people to work, we can forget about Roma integration”.

He is putting the carriage in front of the ox. As long as there is no prospect of work, there is no integration …

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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Slovenia and Roma

On Wednesday, 14 January 2026, the Inaugural event of the National Platform for Roma (SIFOROMA 7) project took place in Lendava.

The event was attended by representatives of the judiciary, ministries, social work centres, Roma associations, non-governmental organisations, local primary schools and folk high schools, municipal officials, police representatives and a local member of the National Assembly.

The project is a continuation of the SIFOROMA 6 project, in which we strengthened the national consultation process on the situation of Roma and, together with various institutions, developed responses to challenges in the field. The SIFOROMA 7 project will build on these foundations with new partnerships and measures, with a special emphasis on identifying and preventing early and forced marriages in the Roma community.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma “Problem”

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Roma “Problem”

Protests against the so-called Roma “Problem” are starting again in Slovenia. “The holiday peace is over!” This is how the public message signed by the People’s Initiative of Dolenjska and its coordinator Silvo Mesojedec begins sharply and without embellishment. According to them, the period of patiently waiting for dialogue with the government has finally ended.

They say the government is not doing anything angains Roma criminality and that they are too lenient towards them. They advocate stricter and disceriminatory measures.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

People for Castles

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People for Castles

Roma and long-term unemployed people joined the restoration of monuments. They managed to restore 31. The Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities (ÚSVRK) reported it. The completion of the People and Castles project is therefore assessed as successful.

Well, transporting stones and digging holes is not a long-term integration. So while it was good that it is done, the long term impact is more than relative.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Who are the Victims

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Who are the Victims

An editorial based on two articles with very different points of view. According to its author “The article by retired criminalist Jakob Demšar, who wrote about crime and current Roma issues, was interesting, as was the interview by Novice Mihajlović with the president of the Roma Foundation for Europe, Željko Jovanović. Mr. Željko is sympathetic to the Roma, but he talks about the real things. It is not easy to weigh who is the bigger victim, the Roma or the “civilians” (the majority nation). They are both, in my opinion. But we know who has to solve this riddle. It is not enough to cut some money from the budget for the Roma, and then let others deal with them.”

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Roma Integration

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Roma Integration

The Bulgarian Cabinet of Ministers approved the report on the implementation of the National Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of the Roma in 2024.

The report was prepared based on the data received on the implemented measures, activities and policies by the responsible institutions and presents comprehensive information on the implementation of the National Strategy, as well as the municipal action plans.

Nice, but what really happened?

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Education

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Education

The low level of education among Roma is seen in Slovenia as a large issue in integrating Roma in the workforce. There have been efforts to better the situation, but they are only a few. The Novo Mesto Development and Education Centre has been working intensively with the education of Roma for the past twenty-five years, ever since they began to more seriously include them in the adult primary school program.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

No Media House

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No Media House

The Roma media house will not be built in the near future. The project, which was part of the action plans for the Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma by 2030 for the years 2025-2027, no longer appears in the draft of the updated document. Changes to action plans were approved by government on Wednesday.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Inclusion Strategy

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Slovakia and Inclusion Strategy

A newly established Council of the Government of the Slovak Republic for the Inclusion of Marginalized Roma Communities (MRK) is to contribute to the implementation of more effective public policies and coordination of activities of the Government Office (GO) of the Slovak Republic, the plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma communities and other state bodies in the field of Roma inclusion. The proposal for the establishment of the body and its statute was approved by the government on Wednesday.

Let’s see what it does …

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Lutsk and Roma

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Lutsk and Roma

Lutsk, Ukraine, takes steps towards equal access to education for Roma children and youth. Educational programs, after-school activities, and support for vulnerable families are the focus of the city’s policy on the integration of national communities.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Warsaw Praga District

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Warsaw Praga District

The Local Action Plan for the Roma Community in the Praga-Południe District 2025–2030 finished a first preliminary project in 2025. The project’s main goal was to increase the level of social and civic integration of the Roma community living in the Praga-Południe district. As a result of the project, a local action plan was developed, outlining specific directions of support and actions that address the community’s real needs. The project’s nature was participatory, meaning that all stakeholders were actively involved in its development: representatives of the Roma community, their neighbours, residents of the district, representatives of the local administration, NGOs, uniformed services, and other public institutions.

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Reactions to the Femicide

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Reactions to the Femicide

In reaction to the femicide, Vjelko Kajtazi, president of the Kali Sara Roma association said that every time an incident occurs, Roma suddenly have no name and surname.  He was attending a meeting with the vice president Davor Božinović and representatives of the Međimurje local government. The topic of the meeting was the integration of members of the Roma national minority.

Montenegro News Eastern Europe

Montenegro: Theatre

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Montenegro: Theatre

The Centre for the Affirmation of the Roma and Egyptian Population – CAREP begins the implementation of the project “To See Each Other Better – to Understand Each Other Deeper”, with the support of the Fund for the Protection and Exercise of Minority Rights. They will fund a Forum Theatre as a Bridge of Understanding between Youth and Communities and will include a two-day training for 10–12 young people, three forum theatre performances in three municipalities, a public forum “Roma language and culture – how much do we know about Roma”, as well as the production and distribution of information brochures for schools and institutions.

News Western Europe Spain

Roma in Spain

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Roma in Spain

An overview of the current situation, progress, and challenges faced by Roma in Spain.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma “Money”

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Roma “Money”

Slovenian spends around 20 million euros per year on Roma integration. Ther are officially around 10’000 Roma in the country. But, the journalist and president of the Roma Academic Club Sandi Horvat recently said in an interview that very few so-called of Roma money actually reaches Roma.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma Media House

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Roma Media House

“The activity entitled ‘Creation and Functioning of the Roma Media House as a Means of Improving the Media Image of Roma’ was excluded from the action plan for the priority area of ​​combating anti-Roma racism and supporting participation, whose indicative budget for the years 2025-2026 was 20,000,000 euros,” the Government Office of the Slovak Republic, confirmed in the explanatory report to the plan.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and the Roma Action Plan

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Slovakia and the Roma Action Plan

The Roma media house will probably not be implemented in the near future. The project, which was part of the action plans for the Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation of Roma by 2030 for the years 2025-2027, does not appear in the draft of the updated document. The changes in the action plans are currently the subject of a comment procedure.

The new plan doesn’t focus on anti-Roma racism but on employment and integration. How will this work?

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia and Roma Settlements

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Slovakia and Roma Settlements

The Office of the Government Plenipotentiary of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities has approved another series of projects aimed at improving living conditions in municipalities included in the Atlas of Roma Communities. Thanks to the approved projects, social rental housing capacity for 1,193 people will be created, 8.15 kilometres of sewage will be built or reconstructed, and waste will be removed from an area of ​​almost 3,200 square meters.

This is a very small drop in a very large ocean.

Croatia News Eastern Europe

Croatia: Integration

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Croatia: Integration

Međimurje County invited citizens to vote online to support the story of the Međimurje Sports Network about Vjeran Balog from Parag, which has entered the competition for the best journalistic work on the topic of inclusion and tolerance in the community.

The story follows Vjeran Balog, a football coach dedicated to working with young people, who last week became the first Roma to hold a coaching diploma from the Croatian Football Federation (HNS). His example shows how motivation and focus can overcome great obstacles.

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