Search
3.10.2023
NEWS

HISTORY

TRADITIONS, CULTURE

PERSONALITIES

USEFUL CONTACTS

PHOTOS OF THE ROMA

VARIOUS

RADIO PRAGUE










Česky English Deutsch Francais
Government’s agency for social inclusion issues grim report on the situation of the Roma minority
28-11-2013 - Daniela Lazarova
The government’s agency for social inclusion on Wednesday presented the Rusnok cabinet with a grim report on the situation of the Romany minority, in which it claims that the problems in housing have deteriorated in an alarming way and little progress has been made in other areas. Coincidentally, on the same day, the Senate rejected a proposal by the EC on how to address these issues successfully. I asked the head of the government’s agency for social inclusion Martin Šimácek to outline the main areas of concern.

Photo: Vojtěch Berger “The biggest problem is in the housing situation. There are some 60 thousand people now living in lodging houses, which we see as a huge problem. These facilities are really segregated and not offer the possibility of integration. That is the first key problem, another big problem is with employment. This particularly concerns young people who are unable to find work and there is also the problem of education – a third of the Roma children are not able to study in mainstream schools with other children of their age.”

They are in special schools?

“In special schools – also called practical schools (schools for children with light mental disabilities).”

So to sum it up –the situation in the sphere of education has not improved, neither has the employment situation improved and the housing situation has actually deteriorated –is that right?

“That’s right. We can see that especially in the northern regions of the country there are more socially excluded localities, more lodging houses. There are now 20 -25 percent more excluded localities than we had in 2006.”

More slums with a majority population of Romany inhabitants...why is that? The government keeps saying it is addressing the issue – so what is happening?

Martin Šimáček, photo: Šárka Ševčíková “The crucial point is the economic situation and also migration to the poorer regions, to places near the border where unemployment is higher and the possibility to find employment is much lower. Those are the main reasons for the increase in slums.”

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a European Commission proposal for special measures to be taken to improve the situation of the Roma –to ensure equal access to employment, education and so on. Has that come as a disappointment to you?

“We are disappointed, yes, because the EC recommendations are targeted towards those three problem areas –education, employment and housing. And I have to say that in my view the European Commission supports Czech efforts in these areas very much and the recommendations are –let us say –supportive of our policies. So I would much prefer if our senators were able to see things in this light, but they rejected the recommendations and we have to accept that.”

Why do you think they rejected them? Was it just because of the proposed quotas?

“I think that some of them have their own personal opinions and are not comfortable with such documents and recommendations. So personal opinions are an important factor here, and the debate in the Senate was about their personal opinions on the situation with the Roma minority, not about the recommendations made. I am not sure if some of them were really able to think about the content of those recommendations in the context of the situation in the Czech Republic.”

Photo: Filip Jandourek Could it also be because they just don’t want to take directives from the European Commission on how to resolve things in this country?

“That can be one of the reasons, but I am not able to say.”

So now you expect the government to take measures to resolve the situation?

“I think so. We have strategic documents which are very close to the recommendations of the EC and lots of government measures are targeting very similar things to those in the recommendations, so it is a bit of a paradox that we are targeting those problems but the senators were not able to accept the recommendations of the EC. “



Related articles
DateTitleFeature
25.08.2016Roma-inspired fashion line helps fight prejudice and social exclusionNews
28.07.2016New plan for Czech ghettos aims to combat dodgy landlordsNews
08.09.2015Segregated Roma classes at Czech school spark criticismNews
03.09.2015EDUin’s Bob Kartous: inclusive education in the Czech Republic still facing plenty of hurdlesNews
03.04.2014Politicians consider dual-language curriculum to help Romany children overcome language barrierNews
12.09.2013Brochures for schools to help combat racial prejudice and extremismNews
08.04.2013AI launches Europe-wide campaign to end discrimination against RomaNews
14.02.2013Rap video exhorts Roma parents not to send children to special schoolNews
30.11.2012Education ministry planning effective action against discrimination of Romanies in the education systemNews
All related articles
Article
Format for printing
Send as e-mail

Also in section "News"
31.10.19  Roma children’s choir Chavorenge and members of the Czech Philharmonic to perform in UK
13.09.19  Archaeologists discover graves of Roma persecuted during WWII in Lety camp
02.06.19  Ida Kelarová and her Romany children’s choir Chavorenge
29.05.19  Two Roma activists to receive Charter 77’s František Kriegel Award
07.04.19  Romany music from the Czech Republic
13.03.19  Czech singer Věra Bílá, dubbed the Ella Fitzgerald of Gypsy music, dies days before her comeback tour
21.11.18  Roma social worker from Ostrava listed on BBC 100 Women list
12.10.18  Why are there so few Roma politicians?
17.09.18  Virtuoso pianist Tomáš Kačo: When I tell somebody I’m a Gypsy in the US, they’re excited about it
06.06.18  Study indicates ethnic hate is contagious
Archive of the section

Most popular articles
3153053   26.02.00 Some Basic Information about the Roma Population in the Czech Republic
290319   27.01.05 The 'Devouring': A look at the Romani Holocaust
184516   26.02.00 The History and Origin of the Roma
141463   26.02.02 The Language of the Roma
107706   13.06.00 The History of the Roma Minority in the Czech Republic
105260   26.02.00 The Traditional Family Life of the Czech Roma
103929   02.06.03 The Roma Holocaust
88238    World famous Roma Personalities
88174   21.02.04 Extreme right activists demonstrate for skinhead in jail
74801    Photographs by Romani Children
Copyright © Český rozhlas / Czech Radio, 1997-2023
Vinohradská 12, 120 99 Praha 2, Czech Republic
E-mail: info@romove.cz