Monitoring and addressing the human rights challenges faced by Roma fleeing Ukraine discussed at ODIHR event

The importance of monitoring and addressing racist and discriminatory practices against Roma who have fled Ukraine amid the ongoing military conflict was the focus of an event organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on 3 October 2022.  The discussion took place in the margins of the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.

The participants included representatives of OSCE participating States and Roma and Sinti experts and activists. They discussed the challenges, good practices and recommendations to help participating States, OSCE institutions and other stakeholders ensure the safety and security of Roma refugees.

“Ukrainian Roma, many already displaced within Ukraine in the wake of the 2014 crisis, have now been forced to flee their country alongside their fellow citizens,” said Theodoros Alexandridis, a human rights lawyer and mentor of the ODIHR-supported Roma Human Rights Defenders who have been monitoring the situation of Roma refugees from Ukraine in neighbouring participating States.

“As our monitoring demonstrates, the outpouring of heartfelt support that Ukrainian refugees experienced in their host countries did not extend to the Roma who were forced to flee,” he said. “Pre-existing prejudice against Roma communities in those countries fuelled discrimination against Roma refugees at all stages of their travel to safety, from crossing borders to applying for temporary protection and securing shelter. Their predicament would have been far more dramatic had it not been for the solidarity shown by Roma NGOs and communities in the host countries.”

Taiia Avram, from the “Chirikli” Roma Women Fund in Ukraine, highlighted the role of Roma civil society in drawing attention to the concerns of Roma in and around Ukraine.

“We foster an open dialogue with authorities and provide recommendations on how to ensure unbiased implementation of policies and procedures to alleviate the hardships experienced by refugees,” she said.

ODIHR has a mandate to combat racism and discrimination and address 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.