Roma in the COVID-19 Crisis

This brief warns that Roma communities in Europe need more economic support in their fight against COVID-19 and its consequences. The EU also needs the Roma demographic for its own economic and political future.

Roma communities in Europe face a much higher risk of death from COVID-19, as their situation, already marked by extreme racism and poverty, has been worsening in the last decade. However, the European Union member states covered in this policy brief—Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain—have not responded with proportionate support.

This brief argues that the COVID-19 crisis and the EU’s recovery plan in response both present an opportunity to improve the conditions of Europe’s Roma—not only in terms of rights, obligations, needs, but in the interests of sound political and economic decision-making across the region.

This report was originally published on opensocietyfoundations.org.

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Roma in the COVID-19 Crisis: An Early Warning from Six EU Member States

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Roma Foundation for Europe

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