ERRC Letter to the Parliament of Italy
Date: Tue, 23 Dec 97 09:11:47 -0500
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Subject: ERRC Letter to the Parliament of Italy
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Claude Cahn <[email protected]>
ERRC Letter to the Parliament of Italy
On December 18, the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), an international
public interest law organisation which monitors the situation of Roma in
Europe and provides legal defence in cases of human rights abuse, sent a
letter of concern to the Italian Parliament. The occasion of the letter is
present parliamentary debate concerning new legislation pertaining to
foreigners. In the letter, the ERRC expresses concern about the treatment of
the approximately 50,000 ex-Yugoslav Roma currently living in Italy.
To: Senato della Repubblica Roma - Italy
Senatore Massimo Villone, Presidente 1a Commissione Permanente
Senatore Ortensio Zecchino, Presidente 2a Commissione Permanente
Senatore Gian Giacomo Migone, Presidente 3a Commissione Permanente
Senatore Carlo Smuraglia, Presidente 11a Commissione Permanente
Senatore Francesco Carella, Presidente 12a Commissione Permanente
Senatore Fausto Marchetti
Senatore Stefano Boco
Senatore Giovanni Russo Spena
Senatore Stefano Semenzato
Senatore Luigi Marino
Camera dei Deputati
Roma - Italy
Onorevole Gabriella Pistone Onorevole Rosa Russo Jervolino
Budapest, December 18, 1997
Honourable Member of Parliament,
It has come to the attention of the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), an
international public interest law organisation which monitors the situation
of Roma in Europe and provides legal defence in cases of human rights abuse,
that a new law on foreigners is currently being reviewed by the Italian
Parliament. On the occasion of the new bill, the ERRC appeals to the Italian
authorities to take firm steps to improve the miserable situation of the
tens of thousands of immigrant Roma presently living in Italy.
Scenes witnessed by the ERRC in several places in the country, including the
capital, suggest that Italy has thus far failed to take proper measures to
integrate immigrants and refugees, especially Roma. Independent field
research conducted in Italy in September 1997 revealed that the conditions
in which the estimated 50,000 immigrant Roma are forced to live are
deplorable and in no way meet even most elementary human needs. Despite the
fact that some of them arrived in Italy thirty years ago, there has been no
ambition whatsoever by the authorities to provide them with adequate housing
. Instead, Roma live on the outskirts of towns in primitive camps ranging
between 20 and 2,000 people. Their homes consist of vans or huts they have
built for themselves. The more fortunate have chemical toilets and water-
taps placed in the centre of the settlement, while numerous others have no
sanitary facilities whatsoever. Most of them do not have legal residence in
Italy and live under the constant threat of expulsion.
The Roma concerned come predominantly from Republics of the former
Yugoslavia, including Bosnia. The ERRC is aware that the situation of Roma
all over the former Yugoslavia is presently precarious and believes that
Roma have reason to fear discrimination and exclusion in the new states.
Following a fact-finding mission to Bosnia last year, the Council of Europe
stated that Roma "risk finding themselves in the last position when looking
for accommodation, jobs and a decent position in society." Repeated violent
attacks against Roma, culminating in the recent killing in Belgrade by
skinheads of a 14-year-old Romani boy, underscores the fact that even are as
not affected by the ethno-genocidal wars in Bosnia and Croatia, Roma run the
risk of being subjected to ethnically motivated attack.
The ERRC welcomes the initiatives by the Italian authorities to update the
present legislation pertaining to foreigners and to bring it into harmony
with the high standards of Europe. On the occasion of the drafting of the
bill, we urge Italian authorities to renew their commitment to a common
European home by normalising the status of the approximately 50,000 ex-
Yugoslav Roma in Italy, and initiate programs aimed at their integration in
society. A first valuable step would be the granting of legal residence in
Italy, concomitant with the provision of basic amenities such as adequate
water, electricity and sanitation.
Sincerely,
Dimitrina Petrova
Executive Director
European Roma Rights Center
P.O.Box 10/24
1525 Budapest 114 Hungary
Phone: + (36 1) 327-98-77
Fax: + (36-1) 138-37-27
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