Discriminatory legal actions against the Romani people are flagrant, increasingly overlooked, and occur everyday. In October 1992, the Czech authorities sanctioned "the ‘Jirkov decrees’ which lay heavy fines for actions ‘endangering the morals, health, and security of others’ and immediate eviction of suspected squatters without prior judicial approval." (Rhodes) Fortunately, the Czech central government nullified these decrees because they were declared "invalid and against the constitutional order" of the Czech Republic. (Rhodes)

Many of the laws passed against the Rom are blatant and clearly prejudiced. A few examples would be the "ethnic evacuations" of the Rom conducted in Yugoslavia; forced sterilization; "mass deportation of Romani refugees"; the prohibition of a nomadic lifestyle; "systematic police surveillance, as in Germany and France"; termination of "citizenship and residency, as in Germany, the new Republics of former Yugoslavia, Rumania, or the Czech Rep." ("Problems") Some of the laws that discriminate against the Roma are not obvious as the aforementioned laws. As Ivey declared, Roms have suffered greatly from "medical experiments by Nazis to European Jim Crow-type laws against them to current discrimination in health care and education." (qtd. in Balay)

There have been and still are numerous passive actions positively shrieking discrimination. Many instances that portray the lack of compassion for the Roma can be witnessed in Europe. A list of passive measures against the Roma has been compiled by the Romnews Network:

the governments’refusal to grant protection against violent attacks on the part of racist groups; refusal to prosecute persons and groups responsible for such attacks or to take measures against racial incitement in press, publications or political propaganda, which is the case all over eastern Europe and in Germany; refusal to acknowledge the Romani population as a national minority entitled to recognized political representation, as in the Republics of former Yugoslavia and in Germany; refusal to grant Romani refugees a protected Status in accordance with the Geneva Convention, and refusal to implement the series of recommendations and resolutions adapted by the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the Council of Europe, as in Germany and a number of other member states, and many more. ("Problems")

The government of North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany deceived its inhabiting Roma in December 1990 by revoking an ordinance giving the landless Roma a place to settle in the region. They revoked the ordinance because the Macedonian government made a deal with them, making a proposal of 30 million D-Marks if Macedonia "agreed to ‘resettle’ the Roma in the Gypsy ghetto of Shutka, near Skopje." ("Roma and Cint Face Discrimination") The millions of D-Marks offered is not meant for the aid of the Roma. Instead, it’s a way to entice Macedonia "to accept foreign nationals on its territories." ("Roma and Cinti Face Discrimination") Through this, it is clear how far Germany will go to rid itself of the Roma.

The German government officials don’t stop at tormenting the Roma and turning a deaf ear to their pleas, they also strive to subdue the political organizations of the Roma. Due to their conviction to support the Romani civil rights, Rudko Kawczynski and Yashar Demirov, who are two of the main Romani civil right activists in Germany, face legal charges. ("Discrimination") Demirov, accused of " ‘deceiving’ Roma refugees by accepting money in exchange for counseling support on how to apply for a residence permit," was sentenced to seven months in a penal institution. ("Roma and Cinti Face Discrimination") The two families who were witnesses whose statements the case rest upon were immediately deported, thus making them unavailable for interrogation by the defense in court.

Another tragic occurrence of the police terrorizing the Roma happened on Wednesday, April 13th, 1994. On this day, the police besieged the home of Rudko Kawcynski, president of the Roma National Congress. The police burst into the house bearing guns, wearing masks and dark attire, but not in the usual police uniform. "They held Kawcynski and members of his family at gun point for more that 20 minutes before revealing their identity as Hamburg police, thereby deliberately risking an attempt at self-defense on the part of the family." ("Roma and Cinti Face Discrimination") The masked men produced a warrant from the court giving them the right to inspect the area for weapons, but much to the disappointment of the police, they turned up empty-handed. Kawcynski and his son were severely battered by the dark-clad policemen and were granted medical attention some time later. The other members of the family were deprived of their dignity by being subjected to a strip search and an examination of their orifices.

Next, the police advanced to the joint offices of the Roma National Congress and the Rom & Cinti Union in the center of Hamburg, where more than 20 officers conducted and eight-hour search. They confiscated several dozen files and copied the memories of all five office personal computers. ("Roma and Cinti Face Discrimination") The files contained vital information about "RNC and RCU members and employees, international contacts, as well as drafts of political strategy papers." ("Roma and Cinti Discrimination") Files relevant to other Roma organizations were also taken by the police.

A supposed number of 200,000 Roma have been falsely accused of elevating the crime rate in the Czech Republic. They have also In been repeatedly been the "targets of skinhead violence." (Rhodes) As Roma are one of the largest groups of refugees the face constant attacks and harassment. The Neo-Nazi groups of Germany storm the homes and settlements of the Roma, other refugees and immigrants. Roma experience barbaric treatments such as stabbings, beatings, burnings, murders, and maimings. (Sengupta) Too many cases of violence toward the Roma are not resolved because the police claim not to have enough evidence to persecute anyone which results in charges being dropped. ("Roma and Cinti Face Discrimination") As a consequence of the lack of action by authorities, racist violence is a daily occurrence and many people have become jaded to the brutal hostilities towards the Roma. Even the media has stopped covering the stories of hate crimes.

If violence against this minority group continues Roma leaders have threatened a "racial war" and went so far as to say in The Romany Petition Committee of the Czech Republic that they would begin a crusade of civil disobedience, hunger strikes and vigilantism against the vicious skinheads.("Romanies Warn" 20 qtd. in Rhodes )

The Roma civil rights activists have designed a European Charter on Romani rights, which several "multilateral organizations" have embraced. Unfortunately, those who adopt the Charter are not obligated to respect the contract. Right now, these simple demands that would ensure the Roma basic civil rights are most often ignored by government executives as well as by national legislation. An ideal solution would be to draw up a charter on Romani rights, and have it validated by the government in European states. The European Charter of Romani rights would include:

The right to protection against racial incitement, discrimination and violence; Freedom of movement within communities, states and member states of the European Community, freedom of cultural and political organization; the right to political representation as an ethnic minority in national legislatives and as a nation in multilateral organizations; the right to elect a political representation to these bodies and the right to veto, via this representation, projects and measures that concern the fate of the Roma community; the right to receive native language instruction and vocational training, and the right to run an autonomous school system. ("Charter")

A special mention must be made to government policy in the Charter on Romani rights:

Rather than encourage human rights violation by demanding restrictions on freedom of movement, as has been the case recently, western governments should tie economic aid to control mechanisms for ensuring the safety and protection of the Romani population, as well as development programs aimed at granting equal opportunities. ("Charter")

Also, government policies have to contain:

immediate protection for refugees threatened by racist and other violent attacks; intervention, including political and economic pressure, to ensure protection in the countries of origin. Such measures, including political recognition of the Roma as an ethnic minority, should be made conditions for admitting applicants into European organizations and for granting economic and development aid; continuous monitoring of the human rights situation of Roma in eastern and central Europe; development projects must be run within the Romani communities if they are to serve as an instrument for long-term emancipation and integration. ("Charter")

This webpage was created by F.W. and M.L. on 3/28/99 for History and Thought of Western Man, Rich East High School, Park Forest, Illinois.