European Committee of Social Rights condemns Portugal for housing discrimination of roma

Alert DateJune 30, 2011 Country: Portugal Address: Portugal General Type: Institutional discrimination Racism and discrimination phenomena: Inter-ethnic
Groups affected / Interested in: Roma & Travelers Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Housing
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Fatalities - deaths N/A
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Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin N/A
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Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

On April 2010 the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) presented a collective complaint to the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) against Portugal concerning the housing situation of Roma in the country. The widespread housing-related injustices occurring in Portugal that were documented by ERRC include problems of access to social housing, substandard quality of housing, lack of access to basic utilities, residential segregation of Romani communities and other systemic violations of the right to housing; these are compounded by a lack of practical access to effective legal remedies for redress. On the 30th June 2011 the Committee of Social Rights handed down a decision where it concluded unanimously that there was violation of Article E of the European Social Charter (non discrimination) taken in conjunction with Articles 31§1 (adequate housing), Article 16 (the right of the family to social, legal and economic protection) and Article 30 (right to protection against poverty and social exclusion) and invites the Committee of Ministers to recommend that Portugal pay the complainant organisation a sum of € 2,000 as compensation for expenses incurred by the procedure.

Source:
European Roma Rights Centre, 07.11.2011, http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=3940
European Committee of Social Rights, 07.11.2011, http://www.coe.int/T/DGHL/Monitoring/SocialCharter/NewsCOEPortal/CC61Merits_en.asp