ABSTRACT
The European Commission has finally put out its word on the decades-old phenomenon of antigypsyism. From physical attacks in the East to dormant systematic discrimination in the West, Roma people are the taboo story of Europe. Despite the recent efforts of the European institution for inclusion, anti-Roma sentiment is deeply rooted, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified the problem.
BY MARINE KRAUZMAN
Heavily romanticised in artistic representations for centuries, Romani people continue to inspire fascination and resentment all around the world, from the picture of the fortune tellers to the clichés of thieves and beggars. This ethnic group has been the victim of historical enslavement from medieval times to the Holocaust and their contemporary persecution. Today, Romani people are still surrounded by society taboos and are the target of widespread discrimination and racism. In 2016, the European Commission coined the term antigypsyism to designate anti-Roma institutional and individual hostility, exclusion, hate speech, physical violence, and devaluation of the culture [1].
A LONG HISTORY OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS
This anti-Romani sentiment is rooted in a mainstream lack of understanding of the history and culture of this ethnic group and constructed narratives of “otherness.” Linguistic and scientific studies suggest that Roma people come from the Indian subcontinent and immigrated to Europe during the 14th century [2]. These people have known a long history of persecutions and enslavement along with displacement policies, such as the 1530 Egyptians Act which began the legal process of controlling the movements of the Roma people, or with dehumanisation policies such as the brown or black triangle emblems of the Nazi camps [3]. This long process of “otherness” has set Roma people apart from national discourse and dehumanised them to the bottom of the rights holder’s hierarchy. These historical conditions of submission and segregation have inhibited Roma people of the possibility to own any land or wealth and, therefore, have shaped the contemporary great poverty of this group and their difficult socio-economic integration.
Today, this community is systematically scapegoated, instrumentalised, and deprived of any economic, political or cultural power. 26 percent of Roma people reported having suffered from discrimination in Eastern and Southern European Union member states as opposed to 45 percent in Western countries. This difference should not be understood as less discrimination in this part of Europe, but rather as the greater awareness of rights in the West or the more public acceptance of discrimination in Eastern Europe [4]. It shows the internalisation process of the hatred rhetoric against the Roma people.
Also known as “Gypsys” or “Bohemians”, these denominations were rejected by the 1971 World Romani Congress because of their negative connotations. “Romani” and “Roma” people are therefore selected as umbrella words to designate a diversity of the diasporas coming from this region. Ethnic world data are particularly difficult to collect for several reasons, such as the refusal by governments to collect such information in the name of equal treatment, the risk of instrumentalisation, or the Holocaust trauma. The unavailability of accurate data could also be explained by the difficulties Roma people face in accessing administrative services or their reluctance to deal with governmental authorities because of the fear of discrimination. The European Union (EU)’s last estimation of its Romani population dates back to the last European census in 2012, indicating 12 million Roma people, making them the largest European ethnic group [5]. Because the European census is held every ten years, the new “EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation for 2020-2030” relied on these outdated 2012 statistics, creating an even bigger gap between reality and policies.
R0MA PEOPLE DISCRIMINATION AND THE EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS
Today, Roma people still face enduring discrimination and exclusion in many areas of life which undermine the respect of their human rights. The great majority of these people live below the poverty line, which is perpetuated by early marriage practices and segregated education in many Eastern European countries. Access to healthcare, housing, and justice systems is also difficult. Looking at the instruments for the protection of minorities, the European legal apparatus is quite weak. Indeed, the 1998 Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities has not been ratified by France, Turkey, Iceland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Greece. Moreover, the document is criticised because of the flexibility of the definition of “national minorities,” which significantly limits the value of this framework compared to already existing treaties. Even fewer states have ratified the 1992 European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages, which detailed, in its first two parts, which languages are protected in each country and, in the third one, the concrete engagements for specific sectors (e.g., education, economic and social life, and cultural activities). Having a closer look at the 16 states committing to protect the Romani language, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Romania commit to protecting it only under Part II, putting aside the part detailing concrete steps. Furthermore, there exists a wide consensus among civil societies and European organs that the Race Equality Directive has not been adequately transposed into domestic legislation or measures to fight against anti-Roma discrimination [6]. Next to this, the European Court of Human Rights recognised that Roma people were the victims of institutionalised racism and racially-motivated police raids using disproportionate force in 2019 [7].
The Kremlin has created and disseminated several infra-narratives to bolster the credibility of the Russkiy The European Union was therefore pressured by civil societies for the drafting of the new EU policy framework on equality, inclusion, and participation of Roma people for the period 2020-2030. The final paper has several differences from its predecessor and should force states to take concrete steps. Indeed, it includes specific indicators and quantifiable targets with a two-year follow-up by key areas to make sure the member states take positive and effective steps towards the socio-economic inclusion of Roma people [8]. However, some argue that the EU Commission must propose legislation to the Parliament and the Council as an instrument to ensure and control that member states close the gap between Roma people and the majority populations [9]. Time will tell if this new framework is effective, but it should be noted that the pandemic and its disastrous consequences were not foreseen in the drafting of this instrument.
ROMA PEOPLE AND THE CORONAVIRUS
The coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has reinforced widespread discrimination and violence against Roma people all across Europe. The European Roma Rights Centre report highlights major human rights violations against Roma during the pandemic in several countries. A common practice is the framing of racist narratives portraying Roma as a public health risk as in Moldova, or public officials and media hate speech discourses fuelling police violence as in Romania [10]. The level of violence and harassment by the police has also increased since the outbreak of COVID-19 at the borders and within European countries [11]. The overall paralysis of civil societies and justice during this period could explain this phenomenon as it leads to less accountability over police action. The authorities have also taken advantage of the crisis to limit the movements of Roma with arbitrary quarantines at the borders or lockdown measures in Romani ghettos even when there was no sign of illness, like in North Macedonia and Bulgaria [12].
Roma people are significantly more at risk as they often live in overcrowded camps with bad sanitation. In Italy and Belgium, Roma people have been subjected to forced evictions without notice or any offers of alternative accommodation [13]. This situation prevents them from legally challenging the decisions and makes them even more vulnerable to the pandemic as they do not have any proper access to water, nutrition, or medication. All of these human rights abuses, coupled with the “info-demic” surrounding the virus and the difficult access to healthcare, explain the particularly low number of vaccinations among Roma people. It is also fueled by a historical mistrust of national healthcare systems, with cases of coerced or involuntary sterilisation of Roma women in former Czechoslovakia as an example. States should ensure the coronavirus countermeasures do not disproportionately affect this community and should include them in the national vaccination strategy [14]. In these troubled times, several countries have nevertheless taken measures to alleviate the effects of the crisis, but these are mostly temporary and virtual, such as providing internet or social media campaigns for preventive measures or connecting people with health mediators [15].
CONCLUSION
As there is a widespread social and political acceptance of negative clichés and discrimination against Roma, the prejudice against these people still remains. A long process of delegitimization of this prejudice is key to offer social and economic opportunities to Roma people. The coronavirus crisis has done nothing but exacerbate inequalities and precarious living conditions. Seeing the particular circumstances of the pandemic, healthcare and economic support should therefore be central in compelling governmental policies. The pandemic has also highlighted the systematic and violent racial discrimination, through border security, ethnic profiling, containment policies, and hatred crimes. Special attention should therefore be given to proportionality and necessity in the use of force in the measures tackling the pandemic. Inclusion, however, cannot begin without deconstructing the historically rooted hatred towards Roma people. The 2030 objectives for inclusion will have to overcome the discriminatory measures implemented to counter the coronavirus crisis and the growing populism in Europe.
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