The research brief ‘Latest Developments, Strategies and Recommendations to Combat Antigypsyism in Romania‘, authored by Iulius Rostas, provides relevant policy or legal updates regarding transitional justice initiatives to address antigypsyism in Romania. In November 2022, the first report on transitional justice initiatives in Romania was prepared as part of the EU-funded CHACHIPEN project. The initial report was intended as a baseline for measuring progress in combating historically rooted antigypsyism in Romania through the use of transitional justice tools, including Truth and Reconciliation processes.

The 2022 report identifies several key areas where antigypsyism has continued to manifest in contemporary Romanian society:
Negative Perceptions: A 2020 survey revealed that 70 % of Romanians do not trust Roma. Moreover, nearly one-third of the population regards Roma as a ‘problem’, with almost one in ten considering them a ‘threat’.

Educational Segregation: Roma children face disproportionately high rates of school segregation. A 2016 monitoring report found that 20.1 % of schools practiced some form of segregation. This segregation contributes to significant educational disparities between Roma and non-Roma students.

Discrimination in the Justice System: The report cites numerous instances of police violence against Roma, as well as discriminatory practices in law enforcement and the administration of justice. For example, a study from 2002 found that Roma comprised 17.2 % of the prison population, despite representing only about 2.5 % of the total population according to the 2001 census.
Environmental Racism: The report documents cases of forced evictions of Roma communities and their relocation to polluted or hazardous areas. One striking example is the Pata-Rat case in Cluj-Napoca, where Roma families were forcibly relocated to an area near a garbage dump.

Exclusion from Knowledge Production: Despite a growing number of Roma with higher education degrees, very few hold senior academic positions. The report notes that there are no Roma full-time senior professors at Romanian universities, apart from two junior academics at the Romani Language Chair of the University of Bucharest.

Lack of Identity and Cultural Representation Institutions: Unlike other minorities in Romania, Roma do not have state-funded cultural institutions such as museums or theaters dedicated to their history and culture.

About the author:  Iulius Rostas is Visiting Professor at National University of Political Studies and Public Administration Bucharest, Romania.

The Research Brief has been coordinated by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).