ITALIAN REPUBLIC: Ground-breaking court victory for Romani people underscores authorites’ failure to protect rights

16 Jun 2015

[International Secretariat]

Region: ITALIAN REPUBLIC

Topic: Indigenous people Minority group

The judgement, issued on 30 May 2015 by the civil section of the Tribunal of Rome, found that the Municipality of Rome had discriminated against Romani families by housing them in the La Barbuta camp. The camp, consisting of pre-fabricated containers surrounded by fencing, was built in a remote location near the city’s airport, using powers granted under a state of emergency declared by the Italian government in 2008. Despite a court decision in 2011 annulling the state of emergency and all resulting measures and decisions, the Municipality of Rome completed the construction of the La Barbuta camp and proceeded to assign housing units in the camp to Romani families only. These included many families forcibly evicted from the camp of Tor de' Cenci.

Amnesty International is calling on the Rome Municipality and the Italian government (also a party to the case) to move swiftly to implement the decision in full and to ensure an immediate end to the discriminatory treatment against the families currently living in La Barbuta and other camps.

As a minimum, no new camps should be planned and developed and a process of genuine consultation with all Romani families currently housed in segregated camps and centres in Rome should be undertaken to identify a range of feasible, non-discriminatory and adequate alternative housing solutions in line with Italy’s human rights obligations. All Romani individuals and families who need adequate housing should be provided with it, including social housing.

"Whilst it has taken a court ruling to stir Italian institutions out of their complacency regarding their treatment of Roma, it is vital that this is just the start of a process. Italy must end this discriminatory two-tier system and ensure that Romani people in need of housing assistance are not given as the only option an ethnically segregated camp.”

“Italy has so far failed to address discriminatory actions by local governments. Such failure, which clearly emerges as an important feature of this judgment, must stop. We urge the European Commission to look at this judgment as a key opportunity to bring its pressure to bear by opening an infringement procedure against Italy because of its discriminatory treatment of Roma in access to adequate housing, in violation of EU anti-discrimination law.”

9 June 2015
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE