On the occasion of the International Roma Day, celebrated on Friday 8 April, the Secretary General and the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe have issued a statement alerting to the difficulties faced by Roma in Ukraine since the armed aggression launched by Russia on 24 February.
“For some of them, language barriers and a lack of official documents make it even harder to escape”, points out Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić, who calls on European countries to provide them with “help and security” in the name of human rights.
“The Roma who remain in Ukraine need support too”, she says, drawing on the contacts the Council of Europe has been able to maintain with Roma NGOs that are still active there.
Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner for Human Rights, emphasises the discrimination and prejudice faced by Roma and Travellers fleeing Ukraine: “During the monitoring missions carried out in March to countries neighbouring Ukraine, we received reports of Roma families - almost exclusively composed of women and children - having been discriminated in the provision of humanitarian assistance or transportation. In some instances, evictions from transit hubs, such as train or bus stations, or shelters were also alleged. Furthermore, there are serious concerns regarding the availability of adequate shelter for some Roma families”.
She calls on all Council of Europe member states to redouble their efforts to address the plight of Roma fleeing war, both inside and outside Ukraine. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)