Over 12,000 Roma from the states that made up the former Yugoslavia now reside in Germany. They are made up of war refugees from the early 1990s, and there are also those who migrated following the abolition of visa restrictions from Serbia and Montenegro in 2009, and Bosnia-Herzegovina and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in 2010. The legal status of many of these people continues to be unclear and, as such, they are obliged to live with the risk of deportation to their countries of origin.

There are an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 Roma from Romania and Bulgaria currently living in Germany. Their presence, especially in cities such as Berlin, Duisburg and Dortmund, has been met by hostile media coverage.

Sections of the popular media in Germany promote a negative stereotype of migrant Roma as well as Sinti and Roma with German minority status. This characterisation portrays Roma as a problem group, typically abusing the social security system. They are associated with poverty, widespread illiteracy and involvement in criminal activities. The attitudes and practices of German local and federal institutions towards Roma migrants have had a tendency to reproduce negative representations of Roma. The effect of this institutional exclusion of Roma only increases the everyday prejudice and discrimination they experience.

Many young Roma face difficulties in getting a good level of education and in some cases any education at all. There are often no clear criteria for when or if young Roma are able to attend regular classes at school, which directly impacts on their integration into the school system. Schools are not obliged to accept Roma young people over the age of 16.

Roma young people under 16 years of age, arriving from Bulgaria or Romania, are placed in separated classes at school. This is done so that they can learn German and/or improve their German language skills. Not all schools have welcome or induction classes, leaving many young Roma confused or excluded. In some cases, schools refuse to enrol young people from families with no fixed address. In other cases the young Roma are placed with unqualified teachers; these are often interpreters with Bulgarian or Romanian background. 

When the education system rejects them, it is much more difficult to engage the young people in any kind of organised learning. One of the consequences of the lack of schooling is that many young Roma don’t learn German, which impacts on their chances of gaining employment. There is the option to pay to learn German, but few young Roma or their families have the financial resources to meet the necessary costs. There are some projects supporting the teaching of German to young Roma, which is usually combined with some employment skills, but the travel costs are usually not covered and, again, the finances are a barrier for Roma young people. The feeling of rejection or disenchantment with the school system by young Roma is commonly felt. This situation means that many young Roma often have no other resort but to seek work relatively early in life.

Amaro Foro was established in 2011 in Berlin. The goal was to contribute to a more tolerant society, with a particular emphasis on promoting respect, mutual understanding, and inclusion via the voice of young Roma. As an organisation they work hard to ensure that Roma young people are at the forefront of their work, and that young people and children are not just the beneficiaries of the work but also the instigators of the work. There is local level support work, a ‘contact’ point, and there is also the politically-orientated work.

Amaro Foro was established in 2011 in Berlin. The goal was to contribute to a more tolerant society, with a particular emphasis on promoting respect, mutual understanding, and inclusion via the voice of young Roma. As an organisation they work hard to ensure that Roma young people are at the forefront of their work, and that young people and children are not just the beneficiaries of the work but also the instigators of the work. There is local level support work, a ‘contact’ point, and there is also the politically-orientated work.

Social Support and Roma Youth Participation

The Youth Group

The response from Amaro Foro to many of the issues that the Roma community is facing has been to develop several youth-led initiatives. They developed a youth club which provides a space for young people to meet and interact. This is a key example of Roma youth participation. The young people work together in the club to come up with and implement their own ideas; they then develop programmes and activities accordingly for which they are responsible and accountable, taking the right to participate in their own hands. Many of the activities are quite general, for example, workshops on Roma history, identity, and Roma in the Second World War. However, there are also workshops directly related to the situation of the young Roma living in or around Berlin. For example, they have conducted workshops and seminars on antigypsyism and on Educational Opportunities for Young People to Promote Political and Social Inclusion.

Once a year the young people involved in the youth club organise an international youth exchange. This involves 50 participants (Roma and non-Roma) from different countries working together to develop equality and inclusion strategies through music and theatre. These activities are guided by the general themes, values and principles that underpin Amaro Foro’s work.

Roma Contact Point

The young people of Amaro Foro run a social contact point for Roma of all ages. This is the largest social contact point for Roma in Berlin, and the space is funded by the city government. It provides advice on employment, education, health, housing and social security issues. The facility supports Roma in their dealings with the authorities and helps them with access to various social resources. This work is a key demonstration of Roma Youth Participation, young Roma working and volunteering their time and energy for the benefit of the wider Roma community as well as for other young Roma, in other words, young Roma providing opportunity and support to other young Roma.

Community Building

Amaro Foro operates its own space, a community building. It has become a focal point for a network of individuals and organisations who are working on Roma issues. The network includes a group of young Roma women who meet twice a month to discuss issues and rights related to such matters as health and education. This particular project is also focused on the ongoing development of a network of Roma NGOs and activists.

The results of all this work are that young Roma are provided with the opportunity and means to become active in society. Through the mobilisation of young Roma they encourage and develop active youth participation. They strengthen self-initiative, promote constructive networking, and promote a positive image of young Roma. Through active youth participation, creative interaction and the taking of responsibility, Roma young people develop their capacity as active citizens.

One of the main achievements of Amaro Foro has been the development of an effective and organised relationship with (and within) Berlin’s government system. This advocacy work is an excellent example of Roma youth participation, and it is led by the Roma young people of Amaro Foro. They provide the government with information on developments relating to Roma in Berlin. They also formulate recommendations on policy measures relating to Roma.

As a result of this advocacy by the young people, Berlin has developed an action plan for the inclusion of foreign Roma. It comprises a set of measures focusing on education, health, housing, youth, community building and integration. The action plan includes the aim to eradicate antigypsyism. The action plan utilises Amaro Foro’s contact point for Roma immigrants from other countries.

The active youth participation of young Roma at this political level provides them with the means to make rational and considered (and so potentially effective) responses to the sources of prejudice; this in turn guides the work of the organisation as a whole, whether it be the youth club, contact point or work in the community building.

Despite the close co-operation with the authorities and institutions, Amaro Foro has kept its autonomy and non-governmental nature. The organisation constructively criticises some aspects of the Roma action plan initiated by the Berlin government.

The work of Amaro Foro creates a combination of social and political youth participation and learning. Active Roma youth participation encourages other young Roma to take an active role in establishing and celebrating their own identity. This sense of confidence in their identity is also enhanced by the amount of positive media impact Amaro Foro makes. The organisation as a whole works hard to counter the negative stereotypes usually portrayed by the media. The overall positive impact, in terms of the self-esteem, on young Roma supports these same young people in gaining equal and fair access to social resources.

In the field of youth policy and Roma youth participation Amaro Foro is showing itself to be not only an implementer of public social services, but also a promoter of the role of young people in society. Amaro Foro as an organisation is also keen to co-operate and develop networks with other organisations, both Roma and non-Roma. Through combining resources, stronger strategies for inclusion are developed and greater steps are taken towards building a more equal, fair and just social environment.