MINELRES: ERIO's Press Release on Slovakia

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Valeriu Nicolae <valeriu.nicolae@erionet.org>

 
EUROPEAN ROMA INFORMATION OFFICE CALLS FOR URGENT MEASURES TO IMPROVE 
THE LIVING CONDITIONS OF ROMA IN SLOVAKIA

Brussels, 1 March 2004: The European Roma Information Office (ERIO) is
extremely concerned about the recent developments in Slovakia, where
cuts of social welfare benefits have triggered in part violent reactions
by members of the Roma minority joined by some non-Roma in the eastern
parts of the country. The Slovak government, after having ignored
serious indications and warnings of a possible social unrest, resorted
to the use of police and military force to keep the situation under
control. 

The recent social unrest is not only the result of economic policy
approach which pushes further marginalisation of the most vulnerable
groups within the society, but also the outcome of the persisting
discrimination and social exclusion of the Roma communities in Slovakia.

International surveys have shown that Roma in Slovakia continue to
suffer from widespread discrimination. The European Commission against
Racism and Intolerance for instance recently noted in its last report,
that "a large proportion of the Roma community continue to be gravely
disadvantaged in most key areas of life. ...Roma children continue to
suffer enormous disadvantage in education, while most Roma are unable to
integrate the employment market." (ECRI: Third report on Slovakia,
27.01.04)

Roma are over-proportionally affected by unemployment; in some
communities unemployment levels are close to hundred percent. Efforts to
halt discrimination from the side of the Slovak authorities have
remained sporadic and half-hearted. In some cases the authorities have
themselves been a source of discrimination rather than an antidote to
it. 

The current welfare cuts hit a population, which lives under extreme
poverty, with frequently no or very poor access to basic public services
such as electricity, water, transportation and appropriate school
education. The use of military force against a desperate civil
population illustrates the political deadlock in a country, where a
relevant part of the society - Roma, making up for about ten per cent of
the population - lacks of political representation and is excluded from
decision-making.

ERIO requests from the Slovak Government to

- Withdraw the extra-police and troops from Eastern Slovakia;
- Address the humanitarian crisis in eastern Slovakia and restore the
previous allocation modus of social benefits until a sustainable
solution is found;
- Provide a comprehensive report to the international bodies on the
recent crisis including on the alleged abuse of police force during the
demonstrations and arrests;
- Allow for an international mission to come to Slovakia and investigate
into the recent crisis;
- Take appropriate action to counteract discrimination of the Roma in
the fields of education and employment;
- Set up measures to assure the reintegration of Roma in the Slovak
labour market focussing in particular on job creation schemes and
vocational training;
- Cease social segregation of Romani children within the school system
and adjust the Slovak school system to the fact that many Romani
children grow up in a bilingual environment;
- Strengthen the capacities of the Roma communities via the promotion of
higher education for talented young Roma in particular in disciplines
which open up a career in public administration and diplomacy for them
as well as adult education programmes with a particular stress on the
empowerment of Romani women;
- Assure an equal and fair representation of Roma at all levels of
political decision-making and administration, in particular on issues
which are of particular relevance to the Roma communities.

ERIO asks the European Commission and the European Parliament to

- Request comprehensive information from the Slovak government on the
recent crisis and propose the deployment of an international mission to
monitor the situation and eventually mediate in the current conflict;
- Maintain their monitoring on the minority and human rights situation
in Slovakia and the current candidate countries of eastern Europe even
after their entry into the EU and put particular emphasis on the
improvement of the situation of the Roma minorities and an end of
discriminatory policies and practices;
- Earmark budgets with the specific purpose of improving the situation
of the Roma minority in the CEE countries and verify that these budgets
are actually used for this purpose;
- Make sure that budgetary discipline does not go to the detriment of
social justice and equal participation of all citizens in society.

ERIO asks the EU Commission and the governments of the EU member states
to

- Take Enlargement as an opportunity to define the improvement of the
situation of the Roma minorities as a key priority and an all-European
concern to identify concrete and verifiable measures towards the
achievement of this goal; (up to 9 million Roma live in Europe and wish
to become equal European citizens)
- Set up appropriate structures at the Union level, which promote this
aim;
- Take measures for redressing social inequality with a particular focus
on education of both children and adults.


For further information and/or interviews please contact us:

European Roma Information Office 
17, avenue Edouard Lacomble
1040 Brussels 
BELGIUM
Tel : 00 32 (0) 2733 3462
Fax : 00 32 (0) 2733 3875