Roma and Traveller Inclusion in Europe. Green questions and answers Editor: Kati Pietarinen Roma and Traveller Inclusion in Europe. Green questions and answers Editor: Kati Pietarinen The Green European Foundation is a European-level political foundation whose mission is to contribute to a lively European sphere of debate and to foster greater involvement by citizens in European politics. GEF strives to mainstream discussions on European policies and politics both within and beyond the Green political family. The foundation acts as a laboratory for new ideas, offers cross-border political education and a platform for cooperation and exchange at the European level. Printed in Belgium, November 2011 © Green European Foundation asbl and the Finnish Green Cultural and Educational Centre Visio All rights reserved Project coordination: Marina Barbalata (GEF) and Ville Ylikahri (Visio) English language editing: Denis Mahon Production: Micheline Gutman Cover picture: Philippe Leroyer Printed on 100% recycled paper The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors alone. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Green European Foundation. This publication has been realised with the financial support of the European Parliament. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this project. This publication can be ordered at: The Green European Foundation – Brussels Office: 15 Rue d’Arlon – B-1050 Brussels – Belgium Tel: +32 2 234 65 70 I Fax: +32 2 234 65 79 – E-mail: [email protected] I Web: www.gef.eu Green European Foundation asbl: 1 Rue du Fort Elisabeth – L-1463 Luxembourg 1. The multiple crisis and the Green New Deal 3 Table of Contents Foreword, Heidi Hautala and Ville Ylikahri 5 Kati Pietarinen (editor-in-chief) – Green voices for inclusion 7 1. EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVES 11 1.1 / Miika Tervonen, Exclusion of Roma: continuity and change 11 1.2 / Eva Sobotka, Perspectives on Roma inclusion in the EU 13 1.3 / Barbara Lochbihler, EU framework for national Roma integration: a Green commentary 18 1.4 / Hélène Flautre, Roma: European citizens, let’s take our chance! 21 2. LIVING CONDITIONS, HOUSING AND HEALTH 23 Edit Szénássy, Housing, health and living conditions of Romanies 23 in and outside of the European Union Green initiatives 2.1 / Vasili Kadrinov, A call for Green policy on Roma housing in Bulgaria 30 2.2 / Olivero Alotto and Giulia Vassallo, DADO, a green yellow house in Turin 33 2.3 / Costin Militaru, Red ribbons and drug use 36 2.4 / Liz Wakefield, A green pledge to enhance Traveller sites in Brighton 38 3. EMPLOYMENT 40 Lari Peltonen, The Roma and employment 40 Green initiatives 3.1 / Kristóf Szombati, A plot of their own 46 3.2 / Dionyssis Giakoumelos, Roma access to employment: the gap still remains 49 4. EDUCATION 52 Barbara Bello, Overview on the educational situation of Roma and Travellers in Europe 52 Green initiatives 4.1 / Michalis Tremopoulos, A Green campaign for inclusive education 61 4.2 / Klára Laurenčíková, On the road towards inclusive education 62 4.3 / Eva van de Rakt, Roma women: agents of change 64 5. CULTURE AND LANGUAGE 67 Sílvia Carrasco Pons and Balint-Ábel Bereményi, Roma Culture and Language 67 Green initiatives 5.1 / Catherine Grèze, One minute of silence 73 5.2 / Pieter van Abshoven, Why did they send us there? Recovering memories 74 of the deportations to Transnistria 5.3 / Gerhard Baumgartner, Roma as an ethnic minority – The process of recognition in Austria 76 4 Roma and Traveller Inclusion in Europe. Green questions and answers 6. RACISM AND EXTREMIST AGGRESSION 79 Edit Szénássy, Living in disrespect: discrimination against Roma 79 and anti-Gypsy sentiments in contemporary Europe Green initiatives 6.1 / Kristóf Szombati, Building defences against the “brown sludge” 85 6.2 / František Nejedlý, Greens blocking anti-Roma marches 87 6.3 / Alf Karlsson, A Green fight on discrimination 89 7. MIGRATION 91 Peter Vermeersch, Roma and mobility in the European Union 97 Green initiatives 7.1 / Ska Keller, End expulsions of Roma to Kosovo 97 7.2 / Emma Kari, Fight racism everywhere – also in our own backyard 99 7.3 / Elias Hemelsoet, Roma – problem or mirror of our societies? 101 7.4 / Melanie Zagrean, Green contributions to Roma inclusion in Germany 102 7.5 / Claude Reznik, Integration for Roma migrants in a Green suburb of Paris 106 8. RESOURCES 108 List of country specific information - Nutshells French Roma and Travellers in a Nutshell 20 Bulgarian Roma in a Nutshell 30 Romani and Travelling groups in Italy in a Nutshell 32 Romanian Roma in a Nutshell 35 Travellers and Roma in the UK in a Nutshell 37 Hungarian Roma in a Nutshell 46 Greek Roma in a Nutshell 49 Austrian Sinti and Roma in a Nutshell 76 Czech Roma in a Nutshell 87 Swedish Roma in a Nutshell 88 Kosovar Roma in a Nutshell 97 Finnish Roma in a Nutshell 98 Belgian Roma and Travelling groups in a Nutshell 101 German Sinti and Roma in a Nutshell 105 5 Foreword by Heidi Hautala and Ville Ylikahri Despite being widely present in Europe for cen- vocal political group trying to find sustainable turies, Roma and Traveller groups remain by solutions for the problems Roma migrants face, and large on the fringe of European societies. while some others demanded evictions, depor- This is true for Eastern as well as for Western tations and begging bans. At the same time the Europe. While the number of Romani groups is Greens were aware that the problems of Roma much higher in the Central and Eastern parts migrants cannot be solved at the local or nation- of our continent, the nature of the question of al levels alone. Nonetheless, they were lacking Roma inclusion does not differ as much. Regard- knowledge of what is being done in other European less of their geographical location Roma groups countries and cities. There was and there is a are characterised by strikingly low education need for European level exchange. The Green rates, high unemployment or precarious employ- European Foundation (GEF), therefore, gladly took ment and reduced access to basic rights such as on the proposal of Visio to produce this book as health care or decent housing. These issues are a part of these coordination and exchange efforts. not new. On the contrary, all these questions have been dominating the Roma inclusion debates for Our book is published only shortly after the many years. The novelty in the political debate Hungarian Presidency of the European Union around Roma issues comes from the change in launched the EU’s Roma Integration Framework focus. What used to be a discussion about minor- in summer 2011. This European-level framework ity inclusion turned to being one about core is- strategy aims at furthering inclusion of Roma sues of European integration. people in European societies. It was generally welcomed as a step in the right direction, as it Günther Grass famously called the Roma “the recognises that integration strategies need to be only true Europeans”. And indeed, the prob- developed locally and have to be adapted to spe- lems Roma groups face are illustrative of cific contexts. At the same time, however, there is Europe’s current crisis. In 2010, France and Italy’s an intrinsic weakness to this strategy. The same expulsions of EU citizens of Roma origin from administrations that have been closing their eyes their territories were the visible expression of a on extreme discrimination are the ones now re- European citizenship concept void of both solidar- sponsible for devising strong inclusion strategies. ity and shared responsibility. The weak answers This is why we also believed it to be an optimal of the European Commission to this infringement timing to produce an overview of the situation of of freedom of movement were symptomatic of a Roma and Travellers in Europe and to emphasize Europe of parts rather than one of unity. Finally, several promising initiatives on the issue from a the economic and financial crisis has hit the EU’s Green point of view. poorest citizens hardest and the European Roma were no exception. Economic austerity has since We are thus proud to publish this book that tries then reinforced the vicious circle of extreme pov- to tackle questions related to Roma inclusion erty triggering marginalisation. Throughout the from a local, national and European perspective. continent anti-Roma sentiments have surged. We hope it will be encouraging to read that there are good practices and solutions that make steps The Finnish Green Cultural and Educational towards greater inclusion of Roma people in Centre Visio came up with the idea of publish- Europe. When we showcase those good practices ing this book after a heated political debate we also point to those who have implemented in Finland. The Finnish Greens were the most them, in the hope to network these initiatives. 6 Roma and Traveller Inclusion in Europe. Green questions and answers The political questions around Roma are diverse We hope you can take inspiration from these and complicated: we are dealing with questions examples into your work! of minorities, poverty, racism, of continued divi- sions between Eastern and Western Europe and Heidi Hautala is Co-President of the Green of safeguarding core EU freedoms such as the European Foundation. She is the Finnish freedom of movement. This book does not claim Green Minister for International Development to have a “one fits all” answer to Roma inclusion and has previously been Member of the Euro- issues. It does, however, put forward several suc- pean Parliament, where she chaired the Sub- cessful examples of integration practices from committee on Human Rights. the local to the European level, as the problems that different Roma minorities face in the EU are Ville Ylikahri is the Secretary General of the a perfect example of issues that need both local Green Cultural and Educational Centre Visio.