“Discrimination against gipsies (the Rom and Sinti groups) has serious consequences for their life expectancy”, writes Jan van der Zandt, delegate for the pastoral care of migrants and gipsies of the Dutch Episcopal Conference, in the last number of rkkkerk.nl, newsletter of the Catholic Church in the Netherlands. According to van der Zandt, the figures published in the recent report of the World Bank reflecting the conclusions of the Congress held in Budapest in July concurrently with the 5th World Congress on the pastoral care of gipsies are alarming. From a report on the gipsy communities in eastern Europe (between 7 and 9 million in all) it emerges ( inter alia) that 80% of the 800,000 gipsies in Bulgaria have to survive on less than 4 euros per day (dropping to less than 2 euros for 41% of them); similar is the situation for 69% of the approximately 2 million Romanies, 38% of whom also have to live on less than 2 euros. The unemployment percentage is close to 100% in some areas. In the Czech Republic and in Slovakia infant mortality is double that of the rest of the population. The report also appeals to the European Commission and to the competent governments to work together for the legal safeguard of Rom and Sinti, and urges the need to provide an education to young gipsies and measures to protect them from discrimination and prejudice. As for the situation in the Netherlands, the law on moveable homes was abolished in 1999. That means that the 35,000 inhabitants in moveable homes, for the most part Sinti and Rom, are no longer considered among the minorities but as part of the general population and thus enjoy the same rights and duties, and the same benefits. This has been considered a step in the right direction, though, in van der Zandt’s view, “the Rom and Sinti groups are still in a weak and vulnerable position both in the Church and in society”.
