GHM REPORT TO ERRC NO 58: 25/5/1999
APRIL 1999 ACTIVITY REPORT OF
THE GHM ROMA OFFICE
April 1: Members of the GHM, of
Doctors of the World - Greek Department, of Drom Network for Roma Social Rights, and of
Progressive Left Coalition Party, as well as Progressive Left Coalition MP, Ms. Stella
Alfieri, and Deputy Prefect of Thessaloniki, Mr. Abraham Kaltaveridis formed a Committee
for the Drafting and Support of the Bill on the Self-Managed Roma Camps, proposed by the
first three organizations in late March (see below).
April 7: We received information
that the Roma living near the dusting rump of Nea Liosia left the place due to a murderous
incident, which occurred there. According to our information, a sorting out of debts
between Roma led to a violent clash in which a Rom was killed and some others were wounded
and subsequently hospitalized. After the incident, the rest of the Roma decided to leave
the settlement, which is the biggest and the most disorganized one in Attica. As it has
already been noted (see March 1999, January 1999 and other Monthly Roma Activity reports
of the GHM), the settlement lacked water, electricity, drainage and sanitary conditions,
something usual for Roma settlements in Greece. What is more it was overcrowded and
constructed in an irregular way; disputes among families took place on a regular basis and
the Roma were hostile. One third of the population of the settlement went near the Roma
camp of the Nea Zoi region, Aspropyrgos municipality, while the rest dispersed all around
the countryside to occupy themselves with seasonal jobs.
April 16: We joined forces with the
Drom Network, the Doctors of the World - Greek Department, the Progressive Left Coalition
and local social organizations in Heraklion in order to support the rights of the Roma of
Nea Alikarnassos on the island of Crete. In March the municipality of Nea Alikarnassos
started a procedure of administrative eviction against the Roma (see March Roma Activity
Report of the GHM). A request for the caveat of the decision for eviction will be
discussed on May 10. In a common resolution issued on April 16, the cooperating NGOs warn
the Municipality against the execution of the decision. They also ask the authorities to
provide the adjacent former military barracks of Karperos for the creation of a
self-managed Roma camp.
April 20: Together with Doctors of
the World - Greek Department and Drom Network for Roma Social Rights we issued an appeal
calling on the authorities not to proceed with the ousting of the Roma from the
municipality of Halandri, a suburb of Athens. Thirteen, out of the 30 families, who have
been living in the settlement for many years -some of them for more than 20 years- were
accused of trespassing private land a few months ago. They were tried in absentia and were
asked to leave the place until April 20. The Roma negotiated for a long time with the
Mayor of Halandri and the Public Prosecutor, who had come to execute the decision of
expulsion together with the police. This led to the postponement of the expulsion for 10
days in order for the municipality to find a viable solution for the resettlement of the
families. In the afternoon, we visited the place and had discussions with the Roma. They
expressed their agony and their surprise with the decision of the court, since most of
them are registered citizens of Halandri and have lived there peacefully for a long time.
They refused to leave the place, unless offered another place to live in.
April 21: We participated in a round
table discussion held by the Municipality of Halandri in order to examine the possible
solutions to the problem. The other participants were Progressive Left Coalition MP, Ms.
Stella Alfieri, the secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office for Quality of Life, Mr.
Freddy Stamos, the deputy Mayor and the Secretary of the Municipal Council of Halandri,
representatives of the Panhellenic Roma Federation and representatives of the settlement.
We concluded that the Municipality would propose to the proprietors to rent the field for
a 6-month period, so that the Roma could stay there until a permanent solution to their
resettlement could be worked out. Mr. Stamos committed himself that the government would
support financially the renting of the field and the finding of a solution to the
permanent resettlement of the Roma, whether that would be the buying of houses or the
construction of a self-managed camp for the Roma of Attica.
April 29: The GHM along with
representatives of the Roma settlement of Halandri and of the Panhellenic Roma Federation
participated in a round table discussion held by the Municipality of Halandri to discuss
the situation in the face of the imminent expiration of the deadline for the expulsion of
the Roma. The Municipality informed us that unfortunately the proprietors of the field
refused to rent it out. It proposed to provide the Roma families with a certain amount of
money which would allow them to pay the rent of a field or a house, if they find such a
place somewhere. The Roma argued that they are citizens of Halandri and that they would
not like to stay away from the place they have been living in for years, but in the end
they accepted the proposition as the only solution available. They also accepted legal
advice to dispute the court decision, since it had been taken in absentia.
__________________________
Draft Proposal for the Self -
Managed Roma Camps
March 1999
A. Definition of the term «camp»
A camp is considered to be the permanent settlement
of more than 20 families sharing the same racial and/or social features in a place which
does not belong to them and where they are deprived of the basic conditions for safe,
hygienic and dignified life.
The camps, which are often situated at the outskirts
of cities, are inhabited by socially disadvantaged groups (e.g. Roma, foreign immigrants,
refugees, etc). These groups are either outside any social structure, or are hardly
connected with the latter.
The predominant view is that camp dwellers are
«unproductive» people who represent the «dangerous margin» to which the rest of
society looks down upon. They are often subject to fierce persecution by the local
authorities who act on behalf of the «upset citizens.» Mass media frequently refer to
the delinquency of some of the members of these groups as an argument for their
persecution. The examples are overwhelming.
B. Roma camps in Greece
Today there are 70 Roma camps all over Greece. The
total number of people living in camps is about 100,000-120,000. The living, hygiene and
social integration conditions are miserable. Undoubtedly, every camp has its
particularity, resulting from the population’s connection to the work force, from the
camp’s racial homogeneity, etc.
C. Position
The camp settlers should live with us. They should
have a safe and dignified life. Their social rights should be respected. They should also
have the right to education and work.
D. How the self-managed dwelling areas serve
this position
We believe that the undefined and nebulous
declarations by the State concerning «scattering» and «social integration» of these
groups of people are only an excuse for the lack of interest and care for these people.
How can a population with damaged social habits, lack of education and work relations be
integrated into a society where more and more members are excluded? The more the State
follows this policy, the more these camps will increase in number and the «dangerous
margin» populations will grow, as the desperate of the Third World look for a chance to
live in Western Europe.
Therefore, the proposal for the Self-managed Dwelling
Areas is the only solution to this desperate situation. The following 13 conditions try to
delineate the conditions for these camps without turning them into ghettos.
E. The institutional framework for
Self-managed Dwelling Areas
The second tier local authorities -the Prefectures-
and the Ministries of Internal Affairs, of Health and Social Care, and of the Environment
are the most suitable for the creation and supervision of the Self-managed Dwelling Areas.
The aim is:
Every Prefecture where there are camps should be
obliged to work out a plan for a Self-managed Dwelling Area. The plan would consist of:
the choice of the area (either publicly owned or expropriated), its functioning according
to the 13 conditions, the realization of the project with the financial assistance of the
above-mentioned Ministries or of various European Union funds. The Prefectures should be
committed to these 13 conditions. At the same time the Prefectures should found for every
Self-managed Dwelling Area a Special Supervision Office where the members of the
population would be represented and non-governmental and social organizations would
participate. The Special Supervision Office will assist the Management Council.
13 conditions for Self-managed dwelling areas
The following conditions should be in existence
irrespective of the type of the camp. Besides this, the Supervising Office, in cooperation
with the Management Council, can proceed to further suggestions taking into account the
particular needs of the camp.
The area of the camp will remain public property in
every case. The composition of the area, as well as the duration of the settlement would
be decided by the Special Supervising Office in cooperation with the Management Council.
The 13 conditions are the following:
1. Defining the building site for each family (at
least 200 square meters). Delineation of roads and areas for public use.
2. Water supply for every settlement with a counter
set by the water supply company.
3. Electric supply (including the safety
substructure) for every settlement with a counter set by the electric company.
4. Sewage system construction with connection to
every settlement (so that separate toilets would be eventually available). Cooperation
with the draining and pluvial waters company.
5. Garbage bins in public places in the camp and
regular garbage collection.
6. Availability of public transportation services on
a daily basis.
7. Defining of a special worship place with an
officiating priest in cooperation with the relevant religious authority.
8. A dispensary functioning on a daily basis with a
doctor serving either in residency or coming on regular visits to the camp and with the
appropriate medical staff.
9. An athletic and cultural events center.
10. An Management Council elected by the population
which would be responsible for the public places, building supervision, hygiene, police
calling when needed, representation, and solidarity with financially disadvantaged
families.
11. Police presence by the police authorities and the
Management Council.
12. Resolution of the educational exclusion issues
concerning camp children of school age. Enrolment of these children in the first grade of
school, taking into account their specificity as members of a bilingual and socially
marginalized group. Preparatory classes and out-of-school tutoring for these children.
Educational meetings for adults every afternoon.
13. Looking for ways for the professional formation
and enrolment in the work force of the unemployed members of the population.
It should be noted that a similar pilot project for
Self-Managed Dwelling Areas is currently applied by the Prefecture of Thessaloniki in
cooperation with the same non-governmental organizations for the Roma population living at
the moment in a camp at the bank of the Gallikos river. A 149-acre-area in the Gonou
military base is prepared to host the population within the 13 conditions framework. This
experience will definitely help future projects.
MEDECINS DU MONDE
NETWORK DROM
GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR