Anti-Roma hate crime

OSCE participating States recognized the danger of ethnic hatred targeting Roma and Sinti as early as 1990. Anti-Roma rhetoric, including that focusing on "Gypsy criminality", can be perpetuated in the media and by political actors. EU enlargement, coupled with Roma marginalization, have led many Roma individuals and families to seek better conditions and opportunities elsewhere through migration, often encountering negative reactions in destination countries or areas. ODIHR's annual reporting on hate crime has presented a range of hate crimes targeting Roma. Assault, property damage and murder, involving the use of explosives, firearms or Molotov cocktails have featured in these reports. Among the particularly worrying incidents reported to ODIHR have been arson attacks against Roma homes.

More recently, Ministerial Council decisions in Maastricht (2003), Athens (2009) and Kiev (2013), as well as the Astana declaration (2010) have reconfirmed the need to combat violence against Roma and Sinti and urged participating States to step up their efforts in this regard.

A number of factors suggest that the reported data provide only a fragment of the overall picture of hate crimes against Roma and Sinti. While some participating States record anti-Roma hate crimes, these may not be disaggregated in their statistics and, instead, be included under the heading of racist and xenophobic hate crimes. In addition excessive force against or ill-treatment of Roma, including, for example, in the course of evictions or during stop-and-search actions by the police, can contribute to a lack of trust in the authorities. This, combined with a lack of means and knowledge on the part of Roma communities to monitor and report hate crimes means that these are likely significantly under-reported.

ODIHR TANDIS

Overview of incidents reported by other sources

Violent attacks against people Threats/Harassment Attacks against property Total
41 34 21 96

Date Country Type of incident Source Description
2019 Italy Violent attacks against people Association 21 July Show info
2019 Hungary Attacks against property Working Group Against Hate Crimes Show info
2019 Bulgaria Attacks against property Bulgarian Hate Crime Recording Coalition Show info
2019 Czech Republic Threats/Harassment In IUSTITIA Show info
2019 Czech Republic Violent attacks against people In IUSTITIA Show info
2019 Bulgaria Threats/Harassment AZAD LGBT Organization Show info
2019-01 Bulgaria Threats/Harassment OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-01 Italy Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), Lunaria, OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-01 Bulgaria Threats/Harassment Bulgarian Hate Crime Recording Coalition Show info
2019-01 Bulgaria Attacks against property European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-01 Czech Republic Threats/Harassment In IUSTITIA Show info
2019-02 Ireland Attacks against property OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-02 Italy Violent attacks against people Association 21 July, European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), Lunaria, OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-02 Czech Republic Threats/Harassment In IUSTITIA Show info
2019-02 Ireland Threats/Harassment European Network Against Racism - Ireland Show info
2019-02 Italy Attacks against property European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-03 Croatia Violent attacks against people Croatian civil society coalition Show info
2019-03 Bosnia and Herzegovina Attacks against property OSCE Mission to Bosnia And Herzegovina, OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-03 Poland Attacks against property "Never Again" Association Show info
2019-03 North Macedonia Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-03 Romania Violent attacks against people OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-03 Czech Republic Violent attacks against people OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-03 Belarus Violent attacks against people OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-03 France Attacks against property OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-03 France Violent attacks against people OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-03 Germany Violent attacks against people OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-03 Hungary Threats/Harassment Working Group Against Hate Crimes Show info
2019-03 Hungary Attacks against property European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-04 Bulgaria Violent attacks against people OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-04 Bulgaria Threats/Harassment OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-04 Germany Attacks against property OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-04 Italy Threats/Harassment OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-04 Italy Threats/Harassment Association 21 July Show info
2019-04 Czech Republic Threats/Harassment In IUSTITIA Show info
2019-04 Italy Threats/Harassment Association 21 July Show info
2019-04 Czech Republic Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-04 Belarus Violent attacks against people OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-04 Bulgaria Attacks against property OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-04 Italy Threats/Harassment Association 21 July Show info
2019-04 Italy Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-04 Italy Violent attacks against people Lunaria Show info
2019-04 Romania Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-04 Czech Republic Threats/Harassment European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-04 Germany Threats/Harassment OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-05 Belarus Violent attacks against people Amnesty International USA (Eurasia Coordination Group) Show info
2019-05 Greece Attacks against property Greek Helsinki Monitor Show info
2019-05 Italy Threats/Harassment Association 21 July, OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-05 Serbia Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), OSCE Mission to Serbia, OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-05 Italy Threats/Harassment European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-05 Ireland Threats/Harassment European Network Against Racism - Ireland Show info
2019-05 Belarus Violent attacks against people Anti-Discrimination Centre "Memorial" Show info
2019-05 Czech Republic Threats/Harassment In IUSTITIA Show info
2019-05 Italy Violent attacks against people Association 21 July Show info
2019-05 Hungary Threats/Harassment European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-05 Ireland Attacks against property European Network Against Racism - Ireland Show info
2019-05 Croatia Attacks against property Croatian civil society coalition Show info
2019-06 Russian Federation Violent attacks against people Anti-Discrimination Centre "Memorial", OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights, SOVA Center Show info
2019-06 Serbia Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-07 Czech Republic Threats/Harassment European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-07 Hungary Attacks against property European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-07 Italy Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-07 Slovakia Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-07 Croatia Violent attacks against people Croatian civil society coalition Show info
2019-08 Czech Republic Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), In IUSTITIA Show info
2019-08 Italy Attacks against property European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-08 Bosnia and Herzegovina Violent attacks against people OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-08 Bosnia and Herzegovina Violent attacks against people OSCE Mission to Bosnia And Herzegovina, OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-08 Ireland Threats/Harassment European Network Against Racism - Ireland Show info
2019-08 Czech Republic Threats/Harassment In IUSTITIA Show info
2019-09 Bosnia and Herzegovina Attacks against property OSCE Mission to Bosnia And Herzegovina Show info
2019-09 Moldova Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-09 Italy Violent attacks against people Lunaria Show info
2019-09 Serbia Threats/Harassment OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-09 Italy Threats/Harassment European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), Lunaria Show info
2019-09 Italy Threats/Harassment Association 21 July Show info
2019-09 Ukraine Threats/Harassment European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-09 Czech Republic Threats/Harassment In IUSTITIA Show info
2019-10 Poland Violent attacks against people Open Dialog Foundation Show info
2019-10 Austria Violent attacks against people ZARA Show info
2019-10 Italy Attacks against property Association 21 July Show info
2019-10 Hungary Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-10 Czech Republic Threats/Harassment In IUSTITIA Show info
2019-10 Ireland Threats/Harassment European Network Against Racism - Ireland Show info
2019-10 Ukraine Violent attacks against people OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-10 Serbia Violent attacks against people OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-10 Hungary Violent attacks against people Hungarian Helsinki Committee Show info
2019-10 Italy Violent attacks against people European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info
2019-11 Sweden Attacks against property OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-11 United Kingdom Attacks against property OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-11 United Kingdom Attacks against property OSCE Office for Democratic Institution and Human Rights Show info
2019-11 Ireland Violent attacks against people European Network Against Racism - Ireland Show info
2019-12 Poland Threats/Harassment Open Dialog Foundation Show info
2019-12 Ireland Threats/Harassment European Network Against Racism - Ireland Show info
2019-12 Slovakia Threats/Harassment European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) Show info

International Reports

Albania

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) published relevant recommendations in its "Sixth report on Albania."

Belgium

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published relevant recommendations in its 2019 Roma and Travellers Survey findings, "Roma and Travellers in six countries."

Bulgaria

The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe published relevant recommendations in her "Report following a visit to Bulgaria.

Croatia

The Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers published relevant recommendations in its "Decision adopted at the 1377th meeting, on execution of the Court's judgments."

France

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published relevant recommendations in its 2019 Roma and Travellers Survey findings, "Roma and Travellers in six countries."

Ireland

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published relevant recommendations in its 2019 Roma and Travellers Survey findings, "Roma and Travellers in six countries."

Netherlands

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published relevant recommendations in its 2019 Roma and Travellers Survey findings, "Roma and Travellers in six countries."

Spain

The United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) published relevant recommendations in its "Report from the thirty-fifth session: Compilation on Spain."

Sweden

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published relevant recommendations in its 2019 Roma and Travellers Survey findings, "Roma and Travellers in six countries."

United Kingdom

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published relevant recommendations in its 2019 Roma and Travellers Survey findings, "Roma and Travellers in six countries."