Anti-Gypsyism is the most prevalent form of racism in Europe the European Roma Information Office says and calls for a survey


Brussels, 30 November 2004 (ERIO): Roma are still Europe's most unwanted. This is the result of an evaluation of public opinion polls from different countries throughout Europe, which has been carried out by the European Roma Information Office. In times when increasing attention is drawn on the re-emergence of anti-Semitism and on the strengthening of Islamophobia the Brussels-based lobby organisation calls on EU policy-makers not to ignore a phenomenon which the survey results suggest is deeply rooted within European culture and society.

ERIO has gathered evidence from public opinion polls which were conducted in countries of Western and Eastern Europe over the last ten to fifteen years. They show an alarmingly high level of rejection of Roma in all European countries. Popular racism towards gypsies is apparent in the refusal to have Roma as neighbours, work colleagues or friends. When asked whether they would like having Roma living next-door two thirds of the Europeans in all countries answered that they prefer to not have Roma as neighbours.

ERIO's research shows that 'anti-Gypsysism' is rooted in century old prejudices against Roma where they have been associated with socially deviant behaviour. In terms of their perceived undesirability, Roma are most often the first named after groups of people associated with deviant or criminal behaviour such as drug-addicts or people with a criminal record.
The value of traditionally negative European perceptions of Roma has been demonstrated by the fact that rejection is similarly strong in countries where there is hardly any known Romani presence, such as in Luxembourg and Malta.

Based on its own findings gathered from a research survey conducted mainly on the internet, ERIO has called for the realisation of a comprehensive EU-wide survey on anti-Gypsyism encompassing all its forms ranging from popular anti-Gypsyism as expressed in opinion polls, racist violence by individuals and law enforcement authorities, to hate speeches in political discourse and in the media. The organisation has pointed out that anti-Gypsyism tends to be overlooked in surveys on racism and racist violence and asked that the observation of anti-Gypsyism should be explicitly included within the mandate of the future Fundamental Rights Agency which will replace the European Monitoring Centre Against Racism and Xenophobia.

ERIO urges the European policy makers to devote greater attention to anti-Gypsyism and to the organisations and research bodies involved in addressing this form of racism. With significant numbers of European citizens approving radical measures against Roma including segregation, deportation and forced sterilisation, anti-Gypsyism is not only a danger to the physical security of Roma and their human dignity but it also constitutes an important threat to social cohesion, since it undermines any
efforts of Roma to integrate within the majority society, the organisation said.

The results of ERIO's survey can be downloaded from the organisation's website: www.erionet.org/OPSUmmary.html and www.erionet.org/OpinionPolls.htm

European Roma Information Office
17, Avenue Edouard Lacomble
B - 1040 Bruxelles
www.erionet.org

Tel.: 00 32 2 733 34 62
Fax.: 00 32 2 733 38 75