AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
MEDIA ADVISORY
7 June 2017
EU must enforce its anti-discrimination law and right Italy’ ‘wrongs’ against Roma– Spokespeople available
Ahead of next week’s meeting of the College of European Commissioners, where a long delayed legal proceeding against Italy could be launched, Amnesty International is visiting settlements in northern Italy. One such camp, “Germagnano” in Turin, is at risk of forced eviction.
“The Roma in Germagnano have already seen many of their homes demolished, they’ve had their livelihoods destroyed and they’ve suffered police intimidation. Slowly but surely, home by home, they are being forced out by local authorities, who are forcibly evicting and rendering them homeless,” said Catrinel Motoc, Regional Campaigner at Amnesty International.
“Next week, on 14 June, the EU’s executive arm has yet another opportunity to deliver justice and put right some the many ways in which the Roma in Italy have been wronged. For years, Italy has been discriminating against, segregating and forcibly evicting thousands of Roma from their homes. By stonewalling the launch of legal action, the European Commission is letting Italy get away with breaking European law, this has to stop next Wednesday.”
Background
In April, the Financial Times revealed that the European Commission had been suppressing action against Italy for failing to respect Roma rights in the field of housing, which Amnesty International condemned.
On April 7, hundreds of Roma were forcibly evicted from their homes in Gianturco settlement, Naples.
On the same day, Associazione 21 Luglio, a prominent Italian human rights NGO, released their 2016 annual report containing damning figures regarding Roma targeted with forced evictions, segregation in camps and other housing rights violations.
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Amnesty International press office on [email protected] +32 2 548 27 73 or +32 483 680 812