Published: 30 September, 2008, 05:04
Edited: 30 September, 2008, 05:04
The Roma people are Europe's largest minority group, with some ten million scattered across the continent. A recent report by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe says Roma communities continue to face disadvantages and discrimination.
There are roughly 250,000 Roma people in the Czech Republic. More than 88,000 live in ghettos, the legacy of the Communist past where they were segregated socially and geographically.
Chanov is the biggest and the most notorious ghetto in the country. Those who end up here have little to hope for. They say once you are in this place there is no way out.
According to human rights groups, Roma people face persecution in all areas of life.
“The Roman community faces very severe discrimination in the field of housing, employment, healthcare and special education,” said Helena Povolna, a spokesperson for Amnesty International in the Czech Republic.
She added: “Education discrimination is the most serious problem because when the children don’t obtain equal and sufficient education they cannot enter social life equally and they’re limited in their chances.”
Although the Czech authorities no longer place Roma children in 'special schools', concerns remain. Activists say there is no law to protect the community properly.
Amnesty reports cases of Roma women being subjected to sterilisation without their consent as late as 2004. Members of the community have also been frequent victims of racial violence.
Over the last 15 years at least 28 Roma people have been killed in the Czech Republic because of their race, claims Ivan Vesely, who is Deputy Head of the Government Council for the Roma Community.
He says the reason for this xenophobia is simple: Roma culture is that of travelling people with little value attached to permanent jobs of self-discipline.
Public opinion is against them. People say Roma make their living by theft and attacks.
“The worst is the xenophobia and the lack of work for Roma on the labour market. When there is no job, it’s impossible to pay for housing and for other basic needs,” said Iveta Millerova, head of Chanov community centre. “Society then sees us as people who are using social benefits and don’t want to work.”
In spite of everything, all Roma people hope that one day they’ll be able to break the stereotypes and prejudice of the majority of society and have a bright future.