Hundreds of thousands of Roma live in miserable settlements in Central and Southeast Europe - the coronavirus disaster is among them. But instead of helping the group, governments often use the police and the military.
Older people and those with pre-existing conditions, doctors and medical staff - they are the most vulnerable in the corona crisis. However, the public finds it difficult to talk about a large and special risk group in Europe: millions of poor Roma. For many of them, especially in Central and Southeast Europe, a health and humanitarian catastrophe could soon ensue.
Most of them live in miserable conditions and mostly without hygiene. In addition, many are no longer able to carry out their informal activities, such as collecting trash and plastic or street food, household products or flowers.
But not only because of the already widespread anti-organism, many Roma are currently undergoing a special stigma: Some countries such as the Western Balkans, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria, the former Soviet Union, and of course the more developed EU, Italy, Spain and France, have taken over. additional measures for Roma settlements in addition to the general restrictions - these are preventively guaranteed or coordinated by the police.
That's why Roma organizations in Europe are sounding the alarm. The International Roma Union, led by President Zoran Dimov, also set up specific demands to the EU and other international organizations and national governments, forming the IRU Crisis Headquarters and responding to EU institutions by offering its support, logistics and mitigation capacity. of this emerging condition.
What will be the directions of the next activities of the IRU and the established crisis headquarters will depend on the answers offered by the EU and its institutions.
