Romanies in Italy: from National ‘Emergency’ to National ‘Strategy’ in Rome’S Campi Nomadi
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Romanies in Italy: From National ‘Emergency’ to National ‘Strategy’ in Rome’s Campi Nomadi Riccardo Armillei Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Swinburne Institute for Social Research Faculty of Health, Arts and Design Swinburne University of Technology 2015 Abstract This dissertation deals with the social exclusion of Romanies in Italy. Based on interviews with Romani individuals, institutional and Civil Society Organisations’ (CSOs) representatives, participant observation and a broad range of secondary sources, the thesis focuses on the condition of those living in ‘ campi nomadi’ (nomad camps) and on the recent implementation of a state of emergency, the so-called ‘ Emergenza Nomadi’ (Nomad Emergency). The enactment of this extraordinary measure concealed the existence of a long-established institutional tradition of racism and control directed at Romanies. It was not the result of a sudden, unexpected situation which required an immediate action, as the declaration of an ‘emergency’ might imply, but rather of a precise government strategy. The extreme poverty of the ‘Romanies of the camps’ should be understood as the result of a protracted institutional immobility and political vacuum, which has basically created the ‘emergency’ and the premises for the implementation of a ‘state of exception’. Specifically, the present study focuses on the city of Rome, where the author conducted fieldwork in 2011 and 2012, and provides an investigation of the interactions between Romanies, local institutions and Third Sector organisations. It finds that national and local institutions and their sub-contracted agents have failed to promote the social inclusion of this minority group. This thesis argues that, despite rhetoric emphasising inclusion, recent efforts have arguably further disempowered, discriminated against and excluded Romani individuals and communities. The major contribution of this study is that it reveals the existence of a deeply rooted mechanism of marginalisation – the ‘camps system’—, in which corruption, lack of transparency and accountability, inefficiencies and antagonisms between a variety of competing actors have contributed to reify and crystallise the Romani condition. This thesis also uncovers significant practices of resistance within the camps. ii Acknowledgements This thesis draws on research supported by a Chancellor’s Research Scholarship offered by the Swinburne University of Technology. Without this financial support, it would have been impossible to accomplish. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Lorenzo Veracini, and to Michael Leach and Linda Briskman. They have all helped this research in various ways. All translations are my own. iii Declaration This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award to the candidate of any other degree or diploma, except where due reference is made in the text. To the best of my knowledge, this thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text. Where the work is based on joint research or publications, this thesis discloses the relevant contributions of the respective workers or authors. Riccardo Armillei 24 April, 2015 iv Table of Contents List of acronyms and abbreviations p. xi CHAPTER I Introduction p. 1 Background to the study p. 1 Theoretical framework p. 3 Italian Government p. 5 ‘Terzo Settore’/Third Sector/CSOs p. 8 The Romani ‘camp dwellers’ p. 11 The intercultural paradigm: The ‘Italian way’ to cultural diversity p. 15 ‘Multiculturalism’ versus ‘Interculturalism’ p. 17 Key arguments and research questions p. 19 Significance of the research p. 22 Terms and definitions p. 23 Romani peoples/Romanies/Roma p. 23 ‘Rom , Sinti , Camminanti ’ p. 25 ‘Nomadi ’ p. 25 ‘Campi nomadi ’ p. 26 Integration/inclusion p. 27 Thesis overview p. 28 CHAPTER II Methodology p. 30 Motivation for the research p. 30 Research design p. 31 v Selection of the methodology: Qualitative approach p. 33 Target group, sample size and recruitment methods p. 35 Limitations of the research p. 38 ‘Fake’ Romani organisations p. 39 Divisions among Romani communities and Third Sector organisations p. 39 The inability to contact ‘fully integrated’ Romanies p. 39 My position as a researcher/outsider p. 40 CHAPTER III The institutional and spatial segregation of Romanies in Italy p. 42 A kaleidoscope of definitions p. 42 Lack of cultural recognition and cultural misinterpretation p. 46 The ‘camps strategy’ p. 49 From protection to segregation p. 49 The camp as a ‘civilising site’ p. 52 No social housing for Romanies p. 55 Casilino 900: From Italian ‘baraccati’ to Romani ‘camp dwellers’ p. 55 The real emergency: Housing p. 56 The legislative framework on Romani issues p. 57 ‘Legal limbo’ p. 57 Like ‘ stranieri in patria ’ p. 59 The lack of a national legislation regarding the Romani issue p. 61 Between national citizenship and transnational identity p. 63 Towards a transnational identity: The creation of a ‘Romani Nation’ p. 63 vi The Romani movement and the consolidation of the European framework p. 64 The emergence of new conflicting challenges p. 65 Prevalence of the local dimension over the international one p. 67 Final observations p. 68 CHAPTER IV The ‘State of Emergency’ and the ‘National Strategy’ p. 72 A well-established trend of authoritarian approaches by government p. 72 The ‘State of Emergency’ and the ‘ Piano Nomadi ’ in Rome p. 73 National level p. 73 Local level: Rome’s metropolitan area p. 76 Scale of the emergency p. 76 Re-organisation and optimisation p. 77 From ‘solidarity’ to ‘authorised/equipped’ villages p. 78 The Barbuta camp and its contradictions p. 80 Political bipartisanship on Romani issues p. 81 Inadequacy of the ‘ National Strategy’ p. 84 Political invisibility of the Romani peoples p. 84 A ‘National strategy’ p. 85 A tokenisitc role p. 88 Impressions from the field p. 90 ‘A book of dreams’ p. 90 Top-down relationships p. 91 Internal rivalries and the need for Romani vii participation p. 93 From ‘project factory’ to ‘systemic actions’ p. 94 Final observations p. 96 CHAPTER V The camp as a business: Inefficiencies, patronage, lack of transparency p. 99 A ‘Copernican Revolution’? p. 99 From Left to Right: The introduction of the Croce Rossa Italiana in the camps’ management p. 99 Change of plan: The emergence of inefficiencies, overlaps and conflict p. 102 Concluding remarks p. 104 Interview with CRI representatives in Rome p. 105 Lack of transparency and an attitude of concealment p. 105 Strong belief in the neutrality and independence of the CRI p. 106 An over-optimistic view of CRI’s intervention p. 108 Conflict between CRI and other CSOs p. 110 CSOs’ involvement within the ‘camps system’ p. 111 A complex universe p. 111 Non-Romani CSOs working within the camps (‘pro-camps’) p. 113 Non-Romani advocacy organisations rejecting the camps (no-camps’) p. 116 The Catholic organisations p. 121 The role played by public institutions p. 126 V Department - Nomads Office p. 127 viii XI Department - Education and Schooling Policies p. 130 XII Municipal Hall - Cultural Office p. 133 Final observations p. 137 CHAPTER VI Between self-determination and ‘collective-identity closure’ p. 140 Disempowerment of the Romani communities p. 141 Paternalistic approaches and Romani voicelessness p. 141 Repression of Romani elites p. 143 The Romani movement p.144 The Proliferation of Romani organisations p. 144 Romani associationism in the city of Rome p. 147 The weakness of Romani associationism p. 147 The interview with Najo Adzovic p. 150 Concluding remarks p. 152 Romani peoples as ‘fighters’ and ‘collective-identity closure’ p. 153 Romani separateness/distinctiveness p. 154 ‘Romanipen ’ (Roma-being) as an isolated Archipelago p. 154 ‘Romanipen ’, ‘ Romaniya ’, ‘anti-Gadje’ , double personality p. 156 Absence of a shared understanding of ‘Romaniness’ p. 158 Case study: Castel Romano ‘authorised village’ p. 161 A brief background p. 161 Corruption, institutional neglect, inefficiencies and practices of resistance p. 162 ix The camp as a ‘resistance site’ p. 165 The case of M. (as narrated by Romani speakers) p. 169 The case of E. p. 170 The case of B. p. 171 The case of Co. p. 172 The case of Ti. p. 174 The case of the E., W., B. and G.: the Italian Sinti p. 175 The case of T. p. 178 The case of the former inhabitants of Casilino 900 p. 179 Final observations p. 182 CHAPTER VII Conclusions p. 185 Summary of findings p. 187 Closing observations p. 189 A final consideration p. 192 Possible directions for future analysis p. 193 Bibliography p. 194 x List of Acronyms and Abbreviations AN Alleanza Nazionale (National Alliance) AIZO Associazione Italiana Zingari Oggi (Italian Association Gypsies Today) ARCI Associazione Ricreativa e Culturale Italiana (Italian Recreational and Cultural Association) ASGI Associazione per gli Studi Giuridici sull’Immigrazione (Association for Juridical Studies on Immigration) CDS Casa dei Diritti Sociali (House of Social Rights) CERD Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination CGIL Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (Italian General Confederation of Labour) CIT Comité International Tsigane (International Romani Committee) CMG Roma World Committee COHRE Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions CoE Council of Europe CRI Croce Rossa Italiana (Italian Red Cross) CSOs Civil Society Organisations DAST Document Authorising a Temporary Stay DC Democrazia Cristiana (Christian Democratic