Brussels, 08/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - In a letter sent on Tuesday 7 June to Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg welcomes the positive measures taken by Slovenia to improve the human rights of Roma and their access to housing, education and employment. Hammarberg, however, called for urgent measures to improve the housing conditions of some Roma communities, which have no access to running water, sanitation or electricity. He says, too, that cooperation and sharing of best practice between different municipalities ought to be encouraged.
In education, Hammarberg called for effective measures to decrease the drop-out rate of Roma pupils and reverse the low rates of school attendance among Roma children in some parts of Slovenia.
Another area of concern to the commissioner is the situation of those “erased” by the Slovenian government from the register of permanent residents in 1992. More than 25,000 citizens of the former Yugoslavia were affected and some became stateless. An amended law from 2010 should enable “erased” persons to submit requests for the restoration of their former status. However, information indicates that only 120 “erased” persons have so far submitted requests and, of those, 32 have been rejected. Despite the determination of the Slovenian government to find a solution to the situation, Hammarberg fears that this law will not fully remedy the negative impact that the 1992 “erasure” has had on the enjoyment of human rights by those concerned. (G.B./transl.rt)