The European Committee for Social Rights condemns France for the violation of Roma rights

Alert DateJanuary 31, 2013 Country: France Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-roma/zinghanophobia
General Type: Discrimination, Equality/Integration Groups affected / Interested in: Roma & Travelers Strands: Equality, Discrimination Key Areas: Housing & Segregation

Timeline

  • Expulsions of Roma from Lyon

    6-7 August 2012 – 300 Roma including minors were expelled from their camps near Lyon without any alternative solution for housing. Sources: MRAP, 08.08.2012, Lyon : traque et expulsions de Roms, sans solution alternative! (Lyon: Tracking and expulsions of Roma without alternative solution), http://www.mrap.fr/contre-le-racisme-sous-toutes-ses-formes/rroms/lyon-traque-et-expulsions-de-roms-sans-solution-alternative Liberation, 31.08.2012, Que deviennent le...

  • Expulsions of Roma near Lille

    9 August 2012 – The police, guided by the court decision, dismantled two Roma camps situated near Lille. The security reasons were announced to justify this solution. Any alternative solution for housing of around 200 persons including children wasn’t proposed. The expelled Roma families settled on the territory of the church. Sources: RFI, 09.08.2012, France : des centaines de Roms expulsés et renvoyés en Roumanie (France: Hundreds of Roma expelled and sent back to R...

  • Expulsions of Roma from Evry

    27 August 2012 – 80 Roma were expelled from Evry without a real solution of alternative housing, only a few nights in the hotel were proposed to them. These families have been living along the metro rails in small sheds during four months after being forced to leave the town Viry-Châtillon. The decision of the prefect mentioned the “intolerable” sanitary and security situation (risk of fire) near the transport ways. Source: Libération, 28.08.2012, Evry banalise u...

  • Expulsions of Roma near Lyon

    28 August 2012 – The police dismantled a Roma camp near Lyon without alternative housing. 180 people including 47 minors were expelled just on the eve of the 1st September. These children would not be able to start classes. Sources: L'Humanité, 29.08.2012, Rien n’a changé : les Roms sont jetés à la rue  (Nothing has changed: the Roma are thrown on the street), http://www.humanite.fr/societe/%C2%AB%C2%A0rien-n%E2%80%99-change-les-roms-sont-jetes-...

  • Forced evacuation of Roma Camp by local residents in Marseilles

    Thursday, 27 September 2012, thirty inhabitants of the 15th district of Marseille forced to flee some Roma families settled nearby a few days ago and burned the remains of their camp. This punitive expedition was premeditated. The inhabitants had informed the authorities about their actions in the case if Roma do not leave the vicinity of the city. The operation reveals the stark atmosphere in some areas of the city where poverty and frustrations accumulated led the population to these extreme reactions...

The European Committee for Social Rights examined several complaints concerning discrimination of the Roma population in access to housing and their expulsions carried out by the French government without any lasting solution on the settling and residence conditions. The Committee concluded that there were violations of the Revised Charter in following cases:

- European Roma Rights Center/France, Complaint 51/2008, Decision on the merits adopted on 19 October 2009. The Committee concluded unanimously that there were a violation of Article 31§1 on the ground of the failure to create a sufficient number of stopping places, poor living conditions at these sites, lack of access to housing for settled Travellers; a violation of Article 31§2 on the ground of the eviction procedure and other penalties.

- COHRE/France, Complaint 63/2010, Decision on the merits adopted on 28 June 2011. The Committee concluded unanimously that the conditions in which Roma families were evicted from their homes constituted a violation of article E (non discrimination) in conjunction with articles 31§2 (right to housing - reduction of homelessness) and 19§8 (guarantees concerning deportation).

- European Roma and Travellers Forum (ERTF)/France, Complaint 64/2011, Decision on the merits adopted on 24 January 2012. The Committee found a violation of Article E (non discrimination) in conjunction with article 19 § 8 (guarantees concerning deportation), 30 (right to protection against poverty and social exclusion), 31 §§1, 2, 3 (right to housing), 16 (right of the family to social, legal and economic protection).

- Médécins du Monde International/France, Complaint No. 67/2011, Decision on the merits adopted on 11 September 2012.The Committee concluded unanimously on a violation of Article E in conjunction with Article 31§1, 30 and 16 because of a too limited access to housing of an adequate standard and degrading housing conditions for migrant Roma lawfully resident or working regularly in France; Article E in conjunction with Article 31§2 and 19§8 because of the eviction procedure of migrant Roma from the sites where they are installed; Article E in conjunction with Article 31§2 because of a lack of sufficient measures to provide emergency accommodation and reduce homelessness of migrant Roma; Article E in conjunction with Article 17§2 because the French education system is not sufficiently accessible; Article E in conjunction with Article 11§1 because of difficulties of access to health care for migrant Roma, whatever their residence status, with Article 11§2 because of a lack of information and awareness-raising and of counseling and screening on health issues towards migrant Roma, with Article 11§3 because of a lack of prevention of diseases and accidents of migrant Roma; Article E  in conjunction with Article 13§1 and § 4 because of a lack of medical assistance.

Sources:

  1. European Roma Rights Center v. France, 06.05.2008, Complaint 51/2008, http://www.errc.org/cms/upload/media/03/C4/m000003C4.pdf, Accessed on 31.01.2013.
  2. European Committee of Social Rights, 19.10.2009, Decision on the merits, http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/socialcharter/complaints/CC51Merits_en.pdf, Accessed on 31.01.2013.
  3. COHRE v. France, 16.11.2010, Complaint 63/2010, http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/socialcharter/complaints/CC63CaseDoc1_en.pdf, Accessed on 18.02.2013.
  4. European Committee of Social Rights, 28.06.2011, Decision on the merits, http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/socialcharter/complaints/CC63Merits_en.pdf, Accessed on 31.01.2013.
  5. European Roma and Travellers Forum (ERTF) v. France, 01.02.2011, Complaint No. 64/2011, www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/socialcharter/complaints/CC64CaseDoc1_en.pdf, Accessed on 31.01.2013.
  6. European Committee of Social Rights, 24.01.2012, Decision of the merits, http://www.coe.int/T/DGHL/Monitoring/SocialCharter/Complaints/CC64Merits_en.pdf, Accessed on 07.01.2013
  7. Médécins du Monde International v. France, 16.05.2011, Complaint No. 67/2011, http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/socialcharter/Complaints/CC67CaseDoc1_en.pdf, Accessed on 31.01.2013.
  8. European Committee of Social Rights, 11.09.2012, Decision on the merits, https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1980783, Accessed on 31.01.2013.