24/5/00
TOPIC: «MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S
DREAM» ARE THE PROJECTS FOR ROMA'S HOUSING AND SOCIAL REHABILITATION.
EVICTIONS AND RACIST PRACTICES CONTINUE.
Our organizations, DROM Network for the
Roma Social Rights, Greek Helsinki Monitor and Minority Rights Group-Greece denounce the
evictions and racist practices against Greek Roma, brought into the limelight in the last
few days. In addition, our organizations ask the Greek government to implement its
expressed wish for immediate housing, social and economic rehabilitation for the Greek
Roma, bringing itself and the local communities before their true responsibilities. The
recent events in Phoenikas (Thessaloniki), Velo (Corinthia, Peloponese) and Nea Kios
(Argolida, Peloponese) demonstrate that in today's Greece good intentions towards the Roma
are the exceptions. Hence, the recent severe criticism from the OSCE High Commissioner on
National Minorities of Greece's leadership.
While state officials were discussing with the
prefect authorities of Thessaloniki the unjustifiable delay in the transferring of the
Roma of Evosmos to the first self-managed settlement in Gonou, in the same prefecture, in
an area called Phoenikas, efforts were made to evict three Roma families. Accused of
trespassing private land and building illegally, on May 19, 2000, the families in question
found themselves confronting a judicial official, employees of the Kalamaria municipality
and police officers, who were all asking them to leave their houses that are to be
demolished. According to DROM Network for the Roma Social Rights, the attempted eviction
took place following legal action initiated by the landowners of the region. The area is
experiencing constant development and the price of the land has increased rapidly.
However, the eviction proceeded despite the fact that Roma, too, were claiming ownership
of the land in question. While from a legal point of view the case is still pending, the
three families were asked to leave their homes in three days' time.
Even in the cases when Roma manage to house
themselves in the most "legal" ways, evictions remain possible as demonstrated
by the latest --certainly not unique-- events in Velo (daily "Eleftherotypia"
22/5/00). Roma in Tyrnavos, Tripolis, Ano Liosia, Yanouli, Chios have had similar
experiences of racist treatment from the local authorities and communities, who were doing
everything possible to impede Roma's settling down in their vicinity. Buying off land from
the local Roma and setting imaginative obstacles at their children's education were the
ways chosen by the residents of Velo -not only tolerated but also supported by the local
authorities- to make Roma leave. They locked the school and collected 12 million drachmas
to buy off their land. In neighboring Tarsina, there was no space left for the very same
children to attend morning preparatory classes in the framework of the University of
Ioanina Educational Program for Roma, taking place under the auspices of the Ministry of
Education. In the afternoon there was no space either because school was functioning as
football playground for the non-Roma children. Some people's right to sports seems to be
prevailing over the Roma's right to education.
In Nea Kios, a rather awkwardly parked car
owned by the Roma, resulted in a municipal council decision of immediate expulsion of 300
Roma from the region, on the grounds that Roma increase the criminality rate in the area.
The municipal council in Rio (Achaia, Peloponese) had taken a similar decision on similar
grounds in October 1999. Apart from the fear of crime, site reconstruction of areas
inhabited by Roma tent-dwellers has over the past inspired similar eviction orders in Nea
Alikarnasos (Crete), Kalamata (Peloponese), Spata, Agia Paraskevi (Attica) and Evosmos
(Thessaloniki). And, while up until today, it was thought that only living Roma had
problems of housing and neighboring with the "Gadje", it was found out that dead
Roma are not wanted either... In Velo, residents collect signatures asking the exhumation
of a dead Rom from the municipal cemetery (daily "Exousia", 23/5/00).
Greek Constitution's provision under Article 21, paragraph
4, stipulating the state's obligation to secure accommodation for everybody, is in
accordance with Article 11, paragraph 1, of the United Nations Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights. The latter provides not solely for a decent living for
everybody but also constant efforts on behalf of the state for its improvement. (Greece
acceded to the Covenant on May 16, 1985). In addition, the UN Committee on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights in interpreting Article 11(1) expressed the view that evictions
without providing the evictees with alternatives are illegal and abusive. In this light,
the state's obligation for immediate housing (and other kinds of) resettlement for the
Roma appears even bigger and any collective responsibilities even graver. As stated by the
OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Van der Stoel -following his study of the
Greek situation- and endorsed by our organizations "the responsibility for inadequate
policy implementation cannot be laid solely at the doorstep of local authorities. In some
countries that have undertaken initiatives to develop comprehensive Roma policies,
national officials appointed to implement those policies operate without adequate support
at the most senior levels of government. In order to be effective, public servants require
the support of national leaders and local officials" (OSCE High Commissioner on
National Minorities, Report on the Situation of Roma and Sinti in the OSCE Area, p:
116-117)
