Tag Archives: Integration

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

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On February 6, a new Roma-led community center (“Roma Integration Space”) was officially opened in Mukachevo, Zakarpattia Oblast, after which another such community center will be opened in Berehove, Zakarpattia Oblast. UNHCR and its local partner NEEKA supported the reconstruction of the buildings and the renovation of the premises of these two centers.

The spaces will work as multifunctional centers to support Roma communities, primarily Roma women and girls, and will complement the national Roma strategy of the Government of Ukraine. Based on the experience and lessons learned from a similar Roma integration space, which has been under the care of the UNHCR and its partner NGO Nehemiah in Uzhgorod since 2022, a wide range of measures aimed at strengthening the access of Roma communities to rights and services, strengthening their potential and integration into local communities.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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Yet another article about the Roma problematic, and the initiative of several mayors to change legislation. Their proposal was thankfully declined by the parliament, as it was pretty much targeted against Roma. The members of the coalition stated that they would put up a proposal by the end of 2023.

The article here complains that not much has been done so far.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Roma, and Work

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The Whirlpool factory employs 500 Roma in Spiš, Slovakia out of a total of 1’500 employees. It is the key for Slovakia, advises the American Chamber of Commerce. Instead of looking for foreign workforce, Whirlpool looked at the Roma community.

Good!

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia, Mayors, and Roma

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The Community of Municipalities of Slovenia (SOS) wants to start talks with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Public Administration on providing additional funds for the municipalities, but both have not yet responded to their calls. The regional meeting was hosted by Novi Sad mayor Gregor Macedoni.

At the meeting, he also drew attention to the Roma issue and problems with illegal border crossings. Regarding the integration of the Roma community, Macedoni warns that it should be carried out urgently with the help of the state, especially since it can also serve as a model for the integration of other groups, for example labor migrants. “This is why we believe that the state will have to listen more to the municipalities of the southeastern region and Posavija,” he said.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Integration

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In Trebnje, the mayor and the mayors of Slovenian municipalities signed an important Agreement for the support of Roma settlements, promising to improve conditions and integration.

The agreement was signed by the mayor and the mayors or deputy mayors of municipalities in which Roma settlements are registered and which receive state funds in accordance with Article 20a of the Municipal Financing Act.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia, the EU, and Roma

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The team for social inclusion and poverty reduction and the Roma Information Center (RIC) held a round table with the aim of reviewing the process of Serbia’s accession to the European Union through Chapters 23 and 24 with a special emphasis on the protection of the rights of Roma/Roma women.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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Again an article on the Roma and security in Slovenia. The parliamentary group of the Slovenian Democratic Party requested the convening of an urgent meeting of the Commission for Petitions, Human Rights and Equal Opportunities.

According to the article, inhabitants of the Dolenj municipalities express their concern about the increasing level of crime and violence in various ways, including in the school environment, where they witness cases of violence perpetrated by Roma. Children from Roma families often miss lessons and, as a result, lag behind their peers in terms of knowledge, which often leads to physical dominance in the classroom and, as a result, to extortion and fights. Many of them drop out of school, which in turn increases their risk of unemployment, social poverty and involvement in criminal activities.

Well, it is a self-made issue…

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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The municipalities with registered Roma settlements signed an agreement in Trebnje, with which they undertook to use the funds they receive from the state as municipalities where Roma live. It is a total of around eight million euros. At the same time, the mayors expressed their disappointment that the state has not yet prepared the promised measures to solve Roma issues.

These mayors had proposed coercive measures that were openly directed at Roma and were dismissed at national level. Let’s see what comes out of this, but, if the title is any indication, this will not go well. The title says: “Many Roma children do not go to school and indulge in crime on the street”.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Integration

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The European Union is putting pressure on member states to improve the integration of Roma into society. For several decades, Slovakia has been struggling with its inability to significantly improve the lives of the Roma, who represent about nine percent of its population.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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The SDS parliamentary group submitted a request to the National Assembly for an urgent meeting of the commission for petitions, human rights and equal opportunities, at which the Roma issue would be discussed in Dolenjsko and Kočevsko, in Bela Krajina and in Posavje. They warn that it is getting worse. They also warn that the government has not prepared the solutions to solve the mentioned problem, which it promised when rejecting the legislative proposals of the Dolenj municipalities. These had proposed measures to cut social help specifically aimed at Roma.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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The Slovenian Parliamentary Committee for Internal Affairs, Public Administration and Local Self-Government today took note of the tenth report on the situation of the Roma community in Slovenia for the year 2022. A resolution was unanimously adopted proposing to the Education Committee and the government that in solving the challenges of the issue, special emphasis is placed on the upbringing and education of Roma children.

Well, up till now it did not quite work …

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Sandi Horvath

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The second part of an interview with Sandi Horvath, a Rom, a journalist and thepresident of the Roma Academic Club. In the second part of the interview, he tells more about his difficult personal path to education and professional success. He also says that “many educated Roma went to work abroad because Slovenia did not recognize their potential.”

This is new in Slovenia where usually in the press, all Roma are poor, uneducated, and criminals.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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For once, a totally different article in the Slovene press about Roma. An interview with Sandi Horvat, a Rom. According to the article, he is educated and successful and is the president of the Roma Academic Club. In the interview, without idealizing, he shows another side of the Roma that is not seen in the media, namely that many Roma live a completely normal life. They go to work, take care of their families and are completely average citizens.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary: Success Story

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Tímea Somogyi, a Romni from Kecskemet, Hungary completed he high school and university as an adult by the time she had 6 children. She now works as a social care worker.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia and Roma Integration

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A forum was held in the city administration of the City of Pancevo on the revised strategy for the social inclusion of Roma men and women. The Roma Cultural Centre Pancevo organized the forum on the topic “Presentation of the strategy for the social inclusion of Roma men and women 2022-2030” with the support of the City.

Will it help?

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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Another article on the Roma “Problem” in Slovenia in the regions of Dolenjci, Belokranjci, and Posavci. The situation is difficult, but to write what is in the article is not exactly helpful. The article says:

“The majority of Roma are uneducated and consequently unemployed. Roma settlements, most of which grew up on foreign land, with “black” houses, became ghettos, and it is difficult to talk about any kind of socialization. The main source of livelihood for the majority is social transfers, which depend on the size of the family – more children, more money. But what if many spend it on alcohol, drugs and weapons, and crime and threats to people’s safety are also connected to this.”

So in brief, we are all uneducated unemployed social security abusers with many children who are alcoholics and drug addicts… How about a sanity check about those statements?

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and the Roma “Problem”

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The commission for monitoring the situation of the Roma community in the municipality of Ribnica held its 4th regular meeting on Monday, November 27, 2023. The proposal of a program of long-term and short-term measures to solve the Roma problem was presented in more detail by the mayor, which will be discussed in detail by the Commission for Monitoring the Roma Community.

Let’s see the outcome…

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia and Roma

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An interview in the Serbian press of Kosovo’s General Secretary of the National Council of Roma, Bajram Morena. By law, the National Council of Roma has competence in four areas: education, culture, official language use and information in the languages of national minorities.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Roma

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An initiative in Slovenia in the Črnomelj library started fairy-tale meetings in the multipurpose Roma centre for Roma children. According to the article After school, children can come to nicely decorated and warm rooms, where they create, cook, do homework, go out together into nature, on trips, even to the sea. Sounds a bit too good to be true, and the tone and the statements seem to indicate that the children don’t live in such nice conditions.

Germany News Western Europe

Integration in Berlin

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In 2011, the former so-called “Rat House of Neukölln” was bought by a Catholic housing company. Since then, Roma and non-Roma have been living there together at reasonable rents. The housing project is considered a successful model of integration.

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