Romanian authorities are again trampling Roma rights underfoot, with the latest manifestation of state sponsored prejudice coming in the form of the Mayor of Baia Mare's decision to wall off the town's Roma population. An example of real, physical segregation. The BBC reported on the new monument to prejudice, as well as visiting another town where a wall has been built to separate the town's Roma.

Sadly these are not isolated incidents; despite the Romanian Government presenting a plan to tackle discrimination against the country's ethnic Roma population in 2001 more than ten years later municipalities across Romania are essentially ghettoizing their Roma communities. According to research by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), 75 percent of Romania's Roma don't have infrastructure for gas, 72 percent don't have toilet facilities and 73 percent don't have infrastructure for drinking water. Building walls isn't the only tactic municipalities use, forcible relocation of Roma communities to the periphery of settlements for 'rehousing' on rubbish dumps, disused industrial plants and even sewage works is occurring across Romania.

The Romanian Government has asked municipalities to identify and provide solutions for issues relating to Roma. The solution in many cases seems to marginalize and create ghettos. The ERRC underlines the huge gulf between the policies central government presents in Brussels and what actually happens in Romania's towns and villages. There are EU funds available for integration projects, but as always with EU funding, outlines for suitable schemes need to be presented. Building separating walls and packing communities off to rubbish dumps on the edge of town won't win EU support.

See the BBC report here.

Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com

photo source: European Roma Rights Centre