Tag Archives: Settlements

News Eastern Europe Romania

Housing in Romania

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Housing in Romania

The Cluj-Napoca Local Council approved a program worth over 400 million lei to purchase 350 homes for Roma and other vulnerable communities, aiming for social integration rather than segregation.

Mayor Emil Boc emphasized that the initiative will use the SIEG mechanism to legally facilitate the purchase of homes and provide social services to the relocated families.

The program aims to eliminate informal settlements like Pata Rât by 2030, with over 500 individuals already relocated to decent housing through previous projects.

This is a drop of water on a hot stone …

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovak Settlements

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Slovak Settlements

Slovakia is working to improve living conditions in marginalized Roma communities, investing nearly one billion euros, yet many still lack basic necessities like drinking water and sanitation.

Local officials report ongoing struggles, with some residents traveling long distances for water, while government representatives claim investments are being made systematically in housing, infrastructure, and education.

A new initiative has been launched to fund local civic and order services, with over 15 million euros allocated to help maintain public order in various municipalities.

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Greece and Settlements

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Greece and Settlements

Two articles in the Greek press on Roma settlements. The first one, descriubes the living conditions of the Roma community in Heraklion which are dire, with as rodents, harmful insects, and inadequate sanitation being reported by residents.

The president of the Roma Association “Elpida” will address these concerns at the upcoming municipal council meeting, advocating for a clean and safe environment for families.

The second one states that the European Court of Human Rights is reviewing a case involving the threatened eviction of Roma community members in Thessaloniki, Greece, without alternative housing provisions.

The case highlights broader issues of housing, forced evictions, and discrimination against Roma communities, emphasizing the need for adequate housing solutions.

The Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, argues that the eviction threat violates the right to respect for private and family life, and the case could set a precedent for protecting vulnerable communities from forced evictions.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Housing in Slovakia

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Housing in Slovakia

The Slovak government has launched a call for proposals aimed at improving housing for marginalized Roma communities, with a budget of 30 million euros from EU funds.

The initiative focuses on socio-economic inclusion, particularly for low-income households and disadvantaged groups, emphasizing the need for accessible housing and services.

New requirements include the necessity of a valid building permit at the time of application and specific benchmarks for technical equipment and accessibility in housing projects.

The latter point will prevent this being implemented in most Roma settlements…

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Roma Settlement

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Roma Settlement

Representatives from the Office for Nationalities visited a Roma settlement in Dolga Vas to discuss the challenges faced by the Roma community and share best practices for their inclusion and empowerment.

Roma councilor Nataša Horvat highlighted the responsibilities and challenges of representing the Roma community, emphasizing the need for perseverance and courage in creating positive change. The discussions underscored the importance of mutual respect, collaboration, and honest dialogue in achieving sustainable changes for the community.

Frankly, with the small number of Roma in the country, this problem could have been solved earlier…

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Settlements Infrastructure

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Settlements Infrastructure

In 2026 and 2027, the Slovenian municipalities of Črenšovci, Rogašovci, and Šalovci will receive financial support to improve communal infrastructure in Roma settlements as part of a government initiative.

A total of 12 municipalities applied for funding, with Črenšovci receiving nearly €118,000 for a sewage pumping station, Rogašovci receiving €156,000 for road reconstruction and €250,000 for a sewage network, and Šalovci receiving €65,000 for infrastructure improvements.

These investments aim to enhance living conditions in Roma communities, promoting health, education, and economic development, thereby fostering social inclusion and reducing disparities.

It says a lot that sewers and roads still need funding in 2026… What have they done til now?

Greece News Western Europe

Greece and Evictions

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Greece and Evictions

The Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner has raised concerns about the eviction risk faced by a Roma community in Greece, highlighting potential human rights violations.

Michael O’Flaherty emphasized that informal Roma settlements can be considered homes under the European Convention on Human Rights, and evictions without alternative housing could infringe on their rights.

The case involves five Roma citizens alleging violations of their rights due to an administrative protocol aimed at evicting them from their long-term settlement, risking their access to essential services and security.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

War and Roma

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War and Roma

The article discusses the impact of war on the Roma community in Munkács, Ukraine, highlighting how traditional gender roles have shifted, with women becoming breadwinners while men face conscription.

The Romodrom integration center provides support for Roma children, offering education and meals, as many families struggle with poverty and lack of access to basic services like water. The article also addresses the stigma faced by the Roma community, including discrimination and stereotypes, while emphasizing the resilience and efforts of individuals to improve their circumstances.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma Communities

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Roma Communities

The Slovak Association of Towns and Villages (ZMOS) discussed new responsibilities for municipalities regarding waste management and the inclusion of Roma communities during a meeting on July 1, 2026.

The meeting focused on the socio-geographic mapping of Roma communities, the Roma map portal, and the evaluation of action plans for the years 2022-2024, emphasizing early childhood care accessibility for marginalized Roma communities.

New data from the Roma atlas indicates an increase in the number of documented Roma communities and their population, highlighting the importance of community perspectives in public policy.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia: Settlements

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Slovenia: Settlements

The Minister of the Interior and Public Administration, Franci Matoz, met with Mayor Gregor Macedoni to discuss current security conditions in the municipality of Novo mesto. The Mayor made himself known by taking drastic measures against Roma linking social services as well as warer and electricity to “good behaviour”.

The meeting focused on issues related to the Roma community and illegal construction, emphasizing the need for collaboration between various government departments and local authorities. The Minister confirmed the government’s commitment to addressing Roma issues through inter-departmental cooperation, acknowledging that narrow departmental approaches have hindered effective responses to challenges in southeastern Slovenia and Posavje.

Greece News Western Europe

Roma Settlements

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Roma Settlements

The article discusses the challenges of demolishing illegal Roma settlements in Greece due to international human rights protections that require alternative housing solutions before eviction. It raises questions about the definition of homelessness, the effectiveness of integration policies, and the potential for new settlements to emerge if current ones are not addressed properly.

Concerns are expressed about the social exclusion faced by the Roma community and the adequacy of existing relocation and integration programs in Patras.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Roma “Ghettoes” in Bulgaria

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Roma “Ghettoes” in Bulgaria

According to this article, Roma ghettos in Southern Bulgaria are growing, but not in the North. On June 2, the premiere of a 520-page research paper on Bulgarian Roma “Models of Roma Urban Ghettoized Structures” took place.

It is written by four Bulgarian scientists, led by Prof. Nadezhda Ilieva from the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography, who over the course of 3 years have managed to count 210 Roma neighborhoods in 148 Bulgarian cities, excluding Sofia and the villages, and to track the socio-demographic processes taking place in them.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Discrimination in Slovenia

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Discrimination in Slovenia

Representatives of Roma communities warn of the need for official recognition of Roma settlements. They say that the government accepts the unequal position of the Roma as normal. Settlements in southeastern Slovenia are without water and electricity. Children’s rights are violated. Inadequate conditions limit children’s right to education.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Alexander Daško

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Alexander Daško

The current Slovak plenipotentiary for the Roma communities, Alexander Daško, comes for a Roma settlement. Here he is pictured as a success story. Yes he made it, but he is also at the centre of many controversies about the use of EU funds for Roma in Slovakia.

Italy News Western Europe

Roma Camps in Italy

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Roma Camps in Italy

For a long time, Italy parked Roma in segregated camps that were de-facto ghettoes. Now the trend reverses, and 50 camps have been closed in the last 10 years, with 63% fewer people living in slums.

“One Hundred Camps,” the annual report on the condition of Roma and Sinti in Italy, compiled by the Associazione 21 luglio, captures the collapse of an “architecture of discrimination” used for decades to manage migration flows fleeing the Balkan wars.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Citizen Patrols

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Citizen Patrols

A Slovak project, “Citizen Patrols” which covered hundred and thirty-one cities and municipalities, 2,349 employees, 2,015 of whom are Roma, providing oversight in the municipalities and mediation, is being effectively shut down.

Bad.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbian Settlements

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Serbian Settlements

Representatives of the National Council of the Serbian Roma National Minority visited the Roma settlement “Sever” in Bor in Eastern Serbia, where about 50 families live in very difficult socio-economic conditions.

The settlements “Sever” and “Brezonik” are located in the immediate vicinity of a mine, and the residents mainly live in old and dilapidated buildings that do not meet the basic requirements for a dignified life.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Mediators

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Mediators

Seven young Roma from Kotel and the villages in the municipality have been selected to train as mediators between the community and institutions. Four girls and three boys aged 16 to 24 will explain to people their rights will direct them to whom to turn in a specific case, explained Maria Hristova, chairwoman of the Association “Local Active Group – Kotel” under whose project the young Roma have been selected and will be trained.

“We have also planned mobile days, which we call “compass days” and will be field work, so young people will be able to meet people, work on real cases and guide, help and cooperate. They will act as mediators between the institutions and the community. If a person from a given settlement in the Kotel municipality does not know where to go to submit documents for social assistance, for example, or wants to learn more about a certain type of service, these young people will assist. They will also accompany elderly people to the institutions,” said Maria Hristova.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: New Housing

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Slovakia: New Housing

In early February, the Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Roma Communities approved three more projects aimed at improving housing in municipalities included in the Atlas of Roma Communities, totaling over 6.6 million euros. The investments are directed to Rudny, Chminianske Jakubovy and Gemerská Hôrka, where new or renovated housing is to help almost three hundred residents.

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