Promoting Social Inclusion of Roma
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www.peer-review-social-inclusion.eu Latvia Promoting Social Inclusion of Roma A Study of National Policies Tana Lace (Riga Stradins University) Disclaimer: This report reflects the views of its author and these are not necessarily those of either the July 2011 European Commission or the Member States. On behalf of the European Commission DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion 2 LATVIA Content Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 4 1. Description of national situation ........................................................................................ 5 1.1 Description of Roma population in Latvia ...................................................................... 5 1.2 Geographic distribution of Roma ................................................................................... 6 1.3 Poverty and social exclusion situation of Roma ............................................................. 6 1.4 The extent and nature of discrimination experienced by Roma ................................... 12 1.5 The main data gaps in relation to Roma ...................................................................... 15 2. Assessment of existing policy and governance framework .......................................... 17 2.1. Assessment of the current overall policy framework and governance arrangements for addressing Roma poverty and exclusion ..................................................................... 17 2.2. Existing targets set for reducing poverty and social exclusion of Roma ...................... 25 2.3. The strengths and weaknesses of Latvia’s National Reform Programme from the perspective of tackling the poverty and social exclusion experienced by Roma .... 25 2.4. The main strengths and weaknesses of existing policies and programmes from the perspective of promoting Roma integration ........................................................... 25 3. Structural Funds ................................................................................................................ 26 4. Role of civil society organisations and international organisations ............................. 27 5. Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 29 5.1. The key challenges, the national goals and policies .................................................... 29 5.2. Steps should be taken to strengthen monitoring methods and to establish a review mechanism for the adaptation of the national Roma integration strategy. ..... 30 5.3. Strengthening cooperation and dialogue with Roma civil society, regional and local authorities and other relevant bodies .................................................................. 31 5.4. Better use of EU Structural Funds in future supporting the integration of Roma ......... 31 5.5. How the integration of Roma could be better reflected in Latvia’s Europe 2020 national targets and National Reform Programme. ...................................................... 31 List of references ....................................................................................................................... 33 3 LATVIA Summary The Roma is one of the oldest minorities in Latvia and according to the official data of the Central Statistical Bureau at the beginning of 2010 8559 persons of Roma nationality resided in Latvia, constituting 0,3% of the total number of the population in Latvia, of whom the majority or 93,6 % are Latvian citizens. There are two Roma communities in Latvian – the Latvian Roma community and the Russian Roma community. Although the number of Roma in Latvia is very small their regional distribution is uneven, there does not exist disadvantaged (micro-) regions or segregated neighbourhoods in Latvia. Education and employment for the Roma in Latvia are the two most serious problems as they give rise to other problems of social and economic character. According to data of the Population Census 2000 more than 40% of the Roma have completed only four or less grades of elementary school, and the number of illiterate people among them is very high. Only 7,9% of the Roma have secondary education which often is one of the basic requirements in the labour market, and only 26 Roma or 0,4% have acquired higher education. Employment is the most topical problem of the Roma caused by their low educational level as well as prejudices against the Roma that prevail in the labour market and in the society. Only a small part of the Roma who are unemployed, register as unemployed. According to research data, the number of the Roma involved in long-term employment relations did not exceed 5% of the Roma population capable of work. The situation when the official unemployment of the Roma is very low and possibilities of finding employment in Latvia have even further diminished in the conditions of the economic crisis, generates an increased risk that the Roma capable of work are forced to engage in various illegal activities to earn their income, for example, illegal employment or even marginal activities such as drug trafficking or other criminal activities. One of the most serious discrimination risks encountered by the Roma in Latvia is discrimination in the labour market. If access to employment for other minorities is, to a considerable degree, affected by lack of state language proficiency, then for the Roma access to the labour market is much more obstructed, even though the majority of the Roma have a good command of the Latvian language. The most significant failing that prevents assessing the Roma socio-economic situation is lack of statistical and research data by ethnic origin. The Roma as a direct target group has been included only in two policy documents, namely, the National Programme for the Promotion of Tolerance for 2005-2009 and the National Programme “The Roma in Latvia for 2007–2009”. In all other policy documents addressing employment, social inclusion and poverty reduction, education etc., the Roma are only one of the social exclusion risk groups and no targeted measures have been specifically planned to improve their situation. The main weakness of existing policies and programmes from the perspective of promoting Roma integration that should be mentioned is the general character of these policies and the insufficient funding. The main challenge that should be addressed in the National Roma Integration Strategy, is the planning of targeted support to needs of the Roma community. The formulation of aims in the policies implemented to date has been too general, no specific quantified targets have been set in respect of the Roma population and it has not allowed achieving any significant improvement in the situation of the Roma in Latvia. 4 LATVIA To promote the accessibility of education for the Roma the practice that the Roma – teachers’ assistants are involved in work at educational institutions in inclusive groups where the Roma children study together with children of other ethnicities should be continued and expanded. Another topical problem is the elimination of illiteracy among adult Roma. The national policy should pay much more attention to issues of lifelong learning for the Roma in view of the low educational level of the Roma that does not allow part of the Roma even to participate in training and retraining activities provided to the unemployed by the State Employment Agency. Alongside with work on the improvement of the educational level of the Roma, it is essential to promote employment possibilities for the Roma thus reducing their dependence on social assistance benefits. The main problem that prevents quality monitoring is lack of data on the situation of the Roma in various areas (employment, health care, housing, income, survival strategies etc.). Therefore the first step towards resolving this problem would be to ensure that updated information is provided on regular basis to be able to objectively plan policy measures and to adjust them if required, avoiding the use of outdated and incomplete information or assumptions in policy planning. European Structural Funds could be used in future as an instrument for planning specific support to the Roma in EU member states, establishing priorities and types of support to Roma integration that would enable the member states to address their domestic problems as well as to mutually cooperate in seeking the best solution for the Roma integration. Support should be provided to strengthening the capacity of Roma NGOs and other NGOs that represent interests of the Roma community. More attention should be paid to the education and information of the population in Latvia to reduce stereotypes and prejudices prevailing in the society against representatives of the Roma community thus reducing their discrimination. 1. Description of national situation “In socio-economic terms its conditions lag far behind those of the majority population. The distance between Roma and any other national minority, in terms of life opportunities, is daunting, and calls for more effective, inclusive and anti-discriminatory policies. This is especially the case for two key domains, namely education and employment”1. The Roma situation in the labour market is determined not only by their educational level and the level of knowledge and skills, prejudices of the society but likewise by Roma traditions and their understanding of the role of the woman in