Masking Roma Rights amid COVID-19

As the world is masking their faces to protect against COVID-19, it seems that some governments are also masking human rights abuses as legitimate restrictive measures.

On 8 April, the global Roma community will come together - although not physically at this time - to celebrate International Roma Day. The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of tens of thousands and, as European governments limit freedom of movement and social contact, International Roma Day should also focus our attention on assessing how the powerful are treating some of the most vulnerable in times of crisis.

With 80% of European Roma thought to be in or at risk of poverty, typically living in cramped and overcrowded housing, and 30% of Roma households lacking running tap water; Roma are an especially vulnerable group during the COVID-19 outbreak. Another important factor to consider is access to health care provisions for Roma living in segregated locations, many of whom do not possess formal identification or health insurance of any kind. Even if treated, Roma have reported segregated services within hospitals and hostile medical staff. It is not surprising therefore that there exists little, if no trust between Roma communities and local authorities. All of these factors and more could prove deadly if not tackled in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Calls for social inclusion and aid have previously fallen on deaf ears and now, in times of widespread social trauma, some authorities have instead resorted to implementing discriminatory restrictive measures. For example, Deutsche Welle has reported Slovak, Romanian and Bulgarian authorities introducing targeted restrictions to place whole Roma communities in quarantine, if need be through force. Not only is this a grave breach of European and international human rights standards, but it further stigmatizes Roma in public life. As one European politician bluntly put:

Instead of seeking additional ways to protect those particularly vulnerable members of our socieities as coronavirus spreads, some politicians have actively fuelled anti-Gypysism

František Kopřiva, Czech MEP and PACE Rapporteur

As the world is masking their faces to protect against COVID-19, it seems that some governments are also masking human rights abuses as legitimate restrictive measures. Today, I will be celebrating my Roma heritage, commemorating the victims of past and present prejudices and vitally calling out the masking of Roma Rights in Europe.