Roma fleeing the armed conflict in Ukraine continue to experience prejudice when seeking support or aid, said participants at an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) on 11 October 2023, on the margins of the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.
Representatives of Roma civil society and OSCE states discussed the most pressing challenges facing displaced Roma people, both internally and in countries neighbouring Ukraine. They also exchanged good practices and recommendations on ways to meet the needs of these communities.
"Roma fleeing the violence are experiencing significant challenges in accessing the support services they need," said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. "The situation of women is of particular concern, with prejudice against Roma compounded by longstanding gender inequality."
Julian Kondur, from the Roma Women's Fund 'Chiricli' international charity, pointed out that the ongoing armed conflict has further deepened the socio-economic exclusion of many Roma.
"Access to housing and documentation remain the key issues for internally displaced Roma," he said, adding that civil society has played a crucial role in helping those in need and advocating for policy changes.
The root causes of unequal treatment are entrenched in anti-Roma sentiment, said Olena Vaidalovych of the Towards Dialogue Foundation.
"The large number of refugees has highlighted areas of poor social cohesion. National authorities need to put measures in place to ensure inclusion for all refugees without practices of segregation for the most marginalized," she said.
ODIHR assists countries across the OSCE in combating racism and discrimination and addressing Roma and Sinti issues in crisis and post-crisis situations, in line with the 2003 OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area. ODIHR has been monitoring reports of human rights violations against Ukrainian Roma since February 2022.
The event was part of ODIHR's Advancing the Human Dimension of Security in Ukraine project.
