Roma people who have moved from new EU accession countries have established significant communities in many towns and cities in England, yet their needs and the responsibilities of local authorities are often unknown to local decision-makers. This report is an introduction to these issues. It needs to be reinforced by a more substantial sharing of information, descriptions of good practice and expert support and training.
Gallery
20/02/2014 - History Repeats Itself Event
31/01/2014 - Holocaust Memorial Day Event
Latest News
26/03/2014 - INTERNATIONAL ROMA DAY, 2014! RAPAR are hosting an event at INSPIRE Cafe in Levenshulme to celebrate International Roma Day on Saturday 5th April from 2pm- 6pm. All welcome, details below (with leaflets available in Romanian and Czech). Looking forward to seeing you there!
21/02/2014 - Captive Audience This film was shown at both the Porajmos and the History Repeats Itself event, showing far-rights groups targeting Roma communities in Czech Republic.
20/02/2014 - HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF - Roma & the Rise of the Far-Right
31/01/2014 - Holocaust Memorial Day Event 31st January 2014 6:00-8:00pm Friend's Meeting House 6 Mount street Manchester M2 5NS
14/01/2014 - Forced Evictions of Roma double in France, as Authorities Pursue Failed, Expensive Policy French authorities forcibly evicted more than 21.537 Romani migrants in
2013, more than double the total for 2012. Law enforcement officers
carried out 165 evictions affecting almost 19.380 people. There were 22
evictions due to fire, affecting 2.157 Roma.
The figures, gathered by the Human Rights League (LDH) and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), are not comprehensive. Many more Roma may have been affected. In comparison 9,404 Roma were forcibly evicted by authorities in 2012 and 8.455 in 2011, according to data collected by the same organisations. Read the full article here.
01/01/2014 - What happened when the Roma came to Levenshulme?In Levenshulme, immigration is more than just a word... Read the full article here.
01/01/2014 - New Year, same nasty xenophobia The Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Star are doing their best to stir fear and loathing towards any Romanians and Bulgarians who may be planning on coming to the UK.
The Daily Star claims Romanians and Bulgarians entering Britain will bring with them a crime wave, while sister paper the Express claims they are only coming for handouts.
Dialling up the hyperbole, The Express suggests the UK will be "hit by a wave of Romanian and Bulgarian migrants keen to take advantage of our generous taxpayer-funded benefits".
"With families struggling to survive on the equivalent of £20 a month, all roads lead to Britain."
All roads lead to Britain? That's not strictly true. It's been widely reported that France, Germany, Italy and Spain are preferred destinations for the Romanian and Bulgarian diaspora. But in the rush to stereotype all migrants as scroungers and turn its readers against them, the Express has had to overlook a number of details, including recent research which suggests migrant workers are good for the UK economy.
01/01/2014 - Alarm sounded on anti-Roma rhetoric as door opens to more EU workers Cross-party group calls for calm dialogue after Tory council leader blames Roma in London for disruption and crime. Read the full article here.
18/12/2013 -The Blame Game: The Choice of Words in the Media Depiction of Roma "In a world that increasingly sees the use of insensitive and racially charged terms as being unacceptable in public speech, the manner in which the media covers issues regarding Roma still trails behind all across Europe, with expressions ranging from the patronizing to the down-right offensive still being the norm in the media vernacular. Rather than being just an issue of journalistic ethics, some of these ill-conceived choices of words have very real consequences on the way the Roma are perceived and treated." - Mihai Ilioaia Read the full article here.
27/11/2013 - A long way from home: Roma immigrants and refugees in Europe Deported from France to Kosovo in October, the Dibrani family is now struggling and isolated in a foreign land. Read the rest of the article here.
14/11/2013- Genocide by another name? Blunkett, assimilation and the 'Roma question'. "Change a culture – what does that mean? Assimilation, I expect. Indeed, in recent months the ‘Roma question’ has been at the centre of political debates, media campaigns and televised debates. Fuelled by the impending expiration of the restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians freedom to live and work in the EU, attention has fallen on the Roma community". - Pip Borev Read the rest of the article here.
10/09/2013 - An Animated History of the Roma People A short animated documentary from the Open Society Foundation on the origins and history of Romani people, narrated by comedian and activist Mark Thomas.
20/8/2013 - Slovakia told to tear down Roma segregation wall “I strongly believe that the construction of physical barriers represents a breach with the values on which our European Union is founded, notably respect for human dignity and human rights, including those of people belonging to minorities”, the commissioner said in a statement. Read more here.
17/5/2013- The stereotypes used against Eastern Europe are as old as they are wrong The tabloids are smearing Roma – but we've heard these myths before. Read the full article by Alan Anstead here.