“The Romany living in the 46 members states of the Council of Europe are about 10 millions. In most countries, the nomadic population has to face remarkable hindrances to be able to enjoy basic rights”. It is one of the final comments of the “Report on the situation of human rights of Romany, Sinti and nomad peoples in Europe”, submitted in Strasbourg by the Commissioner for Human Rights of the CoE, Alvaro Gil Robles. “We have to put an end to the too-long history of discrimination and persecution of these peoples”, explains Gil Robles at the Palais de l’Europe. The document lists the most serious and common breaches of human rights to which the Romany are exposed; part of the document provides suggestions for the member states of the international organisation “in order to put an end to discrimination in terms of housing, education, employment, health care and treatment of nomadic people”. Gil Robles stated he thinks “it is important to create a European Forum of Romany and Nomad people to gain a better understanding of the diversities of such a community”, “by giving more space to their voices and expectations in the national and European decision-making bodies”.
