On Zero Discrimination Day 2021, Chair of the Current Affairs Committee of the Congress, Gabriele Neff, drew attention to the deteriorating situation of Roma and Traveller communities across Europe. The Committee had discussed the protection of minorities, including Roma and Travellers, during the Covid-19 outbreak at its meeting in September 2020.
“The situation of the Roma community has been particularly difficult, as measures to prevent Covid-19 are often hampered by their living and housing conditions,” the Committee Chair explained. Many settlements don’t have decent access to basic services like water and sanitation, threatening the lives of millions of Roma and Travellers. “It is the duty of local and regional authorities to ensure basic service provision and decent, healthy living conditions for all inhabitants, particularly in this time of crisis,” she continued.
As the pandemic hit the continent and cities went into lockdown, Roma and Travellers living in settlements have been increasingly isolated. The absence of informal employment has meant that many can no longer afford food or power and Roma children risk falling behind at school due to a lack of access to remote education tools.
In addition, minorities have sometimes been accused of spreading the disease. “Roma and Travellers have been facing increasing stigma an exclusion. On Zero Discrimination Day, I call on all European towns and cities to take a stance against anti-gypsyism and to fulfill their responsibility vis-à-vis the Roma and Travellers communities,” Neff concluded.
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has launched several initiatives to combat prejudice against Roma and to promote their integration, including the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion. Since 2013, more than 130 cities from 29 countries have joined the Alliance. In 2017, the Congress launched a Declaration against Anti-Gypsyism, giving local and regional elected representatives in the 47 Council of Europe member states the opportunity to take a public stand against discrimination towards Roma. In addition, every two years the Congress awards the Dosta! Prize to municipalities that have implemented innovative initiatives for Roma inclusion.
