A/HRC/17/40
by data from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, France and Serbia7
and raised by the then Special Rapporteur during his country visits to Latvia
(A/HRC/7/19/Add.3, para. 62) and Lithuania (A/HRC/7/19/Add.4, para. 57). Roma
children also face segregation in schools. They continue to be placed in separate schools or
separate classes in mainstream schools, or in special schools for children with disabilities.
Such segregation was reported for instance in Bulgaria 8 , the Czech Republic 9 , France
(A/HRC/7/23/Add.2, para. 67), Greece10, Hungary11, Portugal12, the Republic of Moldova13,
Romania14, the Russian Federation15, Slovakia16, Spain17, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia18 and the United Kingdom (in particular Northern Ireland)19.
14.
Roma are also discriminated against in the area of employment in a number of
countries, where their rate of unemployment is often high. This situation is exacerbated by
their lack of educational skills and qualifications. It should be highlighted that Roma are
victims of racial discrimination at all stages of access to labour markets, where they are
often offered short-term or low-skilled employment and are subjected to racial prejudice
and harassment in the workplace. These concerns were reported for instance in Denmark20
and the United Kingdom.21
15.
The poverty resulting from discrimination faced in employment aggravates the
situation of Roma in terms of access to housing. Indeed Roma are discriminated against in
their access to private and public rental housing, lack security tenure and remain exposed to
racist violence in this context. Often they live in the worst housing conditions, in
segregated, unhealthy neighbourhoods lacking the most basic services and infrastructures.
Reports of Roma living in slums where they are exposed to environmental hazards such as
flooding are also of concern. In 2010, concerns were expressed about the degrading housing
and living conditions of Roma in Croatia (A/HRC/16/42/Add.2, para. 56); similar concerns
about the housing conditions of Roma in Hungary had been expressed in 2006
(A/HRC/4/9/Add.2, paras. 79-84). Housing segregation of Roma is growing in many
countries. In 2009, it was reported that such segregation remains evident in Bulgaria,
Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.22 Roma are also exposed to forced evictions, sometimes in
violation of international human rights law and without adequate alternative housing
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
6
Theadora Koller, ed., Poverty and Social Exclusion in the WHO European Region: Health Systems
Respond (Copenhagen, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, 2010), p. 226.
European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), “Factsheet: Roma rights record”, 4 October 2010, p. 2.
Available from www.errc.org/cms/upload/file/factsheet-4october2010.pdf.
CERD/C/CZE/CO/7, para. 17.
A/HRC/10/11/Add.3, para. 64.
A/HRC/4/9/Add.2, paras. 61-69.
ERRC, “Factsheet” (note 8), p. 2.
CRC/C/15/Add.192, para. 50.
CERD/C/ROU/CO/16-19, para. 14.
CERD/C/RUS/CO/19, para. 27.
CERD/C/65/CO/7, para. 8.
ERRC “Factsheet” (note 8), p. 2.
CRC/C/MKD/CO/2, para. 65.
ERRC, “Factsheet” (note 8), p. 2.
European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), “Third report on Denmark”, 16 May
2006, para. 94.
ECRI, “Third report on the United Kingdom”, 14 June 2005, para. 126.
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Housing Conditions of Roma and Travellers
in the European Union: Comparative report (Vienna, October 2009), pp. 5 and 77. Available from
www.fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/attachments/ROMA-Housing-Comparative-Report_en.pdf.