OSCE experts in Italy to assess situation of Roma and Sinti

MILAN, 21 July 2008 - A delegation of OSCE experts arrived in Italy today to assess the human rights situation of the Roma and Sinti population in the country.

The visit, which takes place in co-operation with the Italian authorities, follows violent incidents targeting Roma and Sinti living in informal settlements in Italy and comes amid a controversial campaign to register Roma and Sinti individuals, including minors, by taking their fingerprints.

"The purpose of the visit is to work with the Italian authorities to identify issues of concern and develop recommendations on how to address them in line with Italy's OSCE and other international commitments," said Andrzej Mirga, the head of the focal point on Roma and Sinti issues within the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), who leads the delegation.

Anastasia Crickley, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination, and experts from the ODIHR and the office of the OSCE's High Commissioner on National Minorities are also part of the delegation.

The team is joined by representatives from the office of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the Italian anti-discrimination body UNAR and Italian non-governmental organizations.

During the one-week visit to Milan, Naples and Rome, the experts will assess the human rights situation of migrants, in particular Roma from Romania, as well as Italian citizens of Roma and Sinti origin. They will also look at national and local policies and measures targeting Roma and Sinti.

Following the visit, a report, including recommendations on the protection of the rights of Roma and Sinti in Italy and their integration into mainstream society, will be prepared by the organizations involved. The report is expected to be presented by high-level OSCE officials to the Italian authorities in September.

Last week in Vienna, an OSCE meeting on improving the integration of Roma and Sinti ended with strong calls on governments to strengthen efforts to end widespread discrimination and to implement the 2003 OSCE Action Plan on Improving the Situation of Roma and Sinti within the OSCE Area.

In a joint statement presented at the meeting, Roma civil society representatives said they were "deeply concerned" about the rise of incidents of racist and xenophobic violence, hate speech and intolerance targeting Roma and Sinti communities in the OSCE region. They called on heads of states, senior government officials, politicians and community leaders to unequivocally condemn such acts.