Discrimination Against The Roma: Calls for Separate Busing for Roma in Italy

On Tuesday October 28th, 2014, Al Jazeera reported that Claudio Gambino, who is the major of Borgaro Torinese, has called for the Roma community to have to use separate buses from non-Roma Italians in the country, saying that they “have been afflicting us for more than 20 years.” He went on to say that “To guarantee the security or our citizens we need two buses. One for citizens, the other for Roma people.”

This is a disturbing statement made by Gambino, and sadly illustrates the anti-Roma discrimination that continues to take place in Europe. Many have criticized Gambino. For example, “Andrey Ivanov, head of the Roma and migrant integration program of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), an EU-sponsored think tank, said Roma are “facing marginalization everywhere.” He called Mayor Gambino’s proposal “ridiculous.”

“Any form of racial segregation is illegal,” he said.”

The European Union, the United Nations, as well as other states must demand that no discrimination should exist for any peoples; the Roma should be given their human rights. Sadly, many European states have continued to treat the Roma on unequal terms with non-Roma populations.

Such discrimination cannot be tolerated. It is critical that these states live up to the international human rights laws through the United Nations and elsewhere, and stop calling for any discrimination against anyone. The Roma continue to receive unfair treatment throughout parts of the world with regards to education, employment, etc… States must make a full commitment to ensure that the Roma are treated with the same respect as are their other citizens.