ITALY CRISIS

09 June 2008

This special section of the ERRC's website contains relevant information and links related to the anti-Romani crisis that has been growing in Italy since May 2007, culminating in anti-Romani pogroms in Naples and Milan in May 2008. This page includes links to actions undertaken by the ERRC in response to the developments in Italy, links to actions by other organisations active on these issues, as well as links to relevant articles published by Italian and international media.

For further information on the ERRC's position on developments in Italy, please contact:

Tara Bedard, ERRC Programmes Coordinator, tara.bedard@errc.org (English)
 

NEW REPORT in English, Italian and Romanian: Security a la Italiana: Fingerprinting, Extreme Violence and Harassment of Roma in Italy.


ERRC Actions:

• Anti-Romani Developments in Italy Highlighted in a Report Launched by NGOs at the OSCE Meeting on Sustainable Roma Policy (14 July 2008)
• NGO Coalition Urges CERD Intervention on Italy's Roma Crisis (2 July 2008)
• ERRC Urges Italian Authorities to Go Ahead with Housing Project for Roma (6th June 2008)
• ERRC Calls Italian Government to Stop Anti-Romani Pogroms (16th May 2008)
• Roma Rights Coalition Targets Italy at Upcoming UN Review (18th January 2008)
• Italian Politician and Media Brought Under Scrutiny for Anti-Romani Speech (12th November 2007)
• ERRC/osservAzione Request Urgent Action by Italian Authorities in Response to Anti-Romani Pacts (23rd May 2007)

Actions by other organisations:

• United States Helsinki Commission, (2 October 2008)
• CERD Committee, Letter to the Italian government on urgent measures (15 August 2008)
• European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Incident report: Violent attacks against Roma in the Ponticelli District of Naples, Italy (August 2008)
• MEMORANDUM by Thomas Hammarberg Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Following his visit to Italy on 19-20 June 2008 (28 July 2008)
• Helsinki Commission Digest, Italian Fingerprinting Targeting Romani Communities Triggers Protests; OSCE Pledges Fact-Finding (15 July 2008)
• ERTF, Open letter from European Roma and Travellers Forum to all Heads of Governments (11 July 2008)
• U.S. Helsinki Commission, Helsinki Commission Co-Chairmen express alarm over fingerprinting of Roma by Italian authorities (7 July 2008)
• Council of Europe, Secretary General's Statement on Fingerprinting of Roma, Secretary General's Statement on Fingerprinting of Roma (27 June 2008)
• European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, Statement of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance on recent events affecting Roma and immigrants in Italy (20 June 2008)
• Associazione Studi Giuridici sull'Immigrazione, ASGI sul Pacchetto Sicurezza (12 June 2008)

Relevant media articles:

• Adnkronos International, Italy: Roma-Gypsy camp dismantled again in capital (6 October 2008)
• Forbes.com, EU warns Italy of legal action on expulsions (23 September 2008)
• Guardian, Romany roads (24 August 2008)
• Guardian, 'Why do the Italians hate us?' (17 August 2008)
• euronews, Romania's President criticises Italy's Roma policy (1 August 2008)
• EUbusiness, Fingerprint all Italians, minister says: press (11 July 2008)
• EUobserver.com, Italy rejects accusations of racism from EU assembly (11 July 2008)
• Financial Times, Italy denies finger-printing of Gypsies is racist (11 July 2008)
• BBC, Italy rebuke on Roma fingerprints (10 July 2008)
• The Guardian, This persecution of Gypsies is now the shame of Europe (10 July 2008)
• Gulf Times, Rome told to ‘explain' plan to fingerprint Roma gypsies (8 July 2008)
• USA TODAY, EU lawmakers criticize Italian plan to fingerprint Gypsies (7 July 2008)
• International Herald Tribune, Italy assailed over plan to fingerprint Gypsies (3 July 2008)
• Adnkronos International, Activists protest planned Sinti Gypsy settlement (23 June 2008)
• Inernational Herald Tribune, Gypsies in Italy protest prejudice (8 June 2008)
• Financial Times, Roma must respect the law of Italy (6 June 2008)
• Financial Times, Europe must end violence against Roma (6 June 2008)
• Daily Mail/Mail Online, The Italian Schoolchildren's drawings which illustrate a chilling hatred for Roma gypsies (30 May 2008)
• Financial Times, Gypsies face uncertain future in Italy (29 May 2008)
• Los Angeles Times, Italy's right targets Gypsies, migrants (24 May 2008)
• The Times, The politics of fear returns to Italy (29 May 2008)
• The Guardian, Berlusconi clamps down on Gypsies (22 May 2008)
• Globe And Mail, Italy puts out unwelcome mat for Roma (21 May 2008)
• The Wall Street Journal, Immigrants' Italy problem (20 May 2008)
• Breaking News, Opposition leader in Italy denounces gypsy camp attacks (19 May 2008)
• The Independent, Italian tolerance goes up in smoke as Gypsy camp is burnt to ground (16 May 2008)
• Financial Times, Italy cracks down on gypsies (15 May 2008)
• BBC News, Italy police to protect Gypsies (14 May 2008)
• The Independent, Roman mayor vows purge of gypsies (1 May 2008)
• Guardian, Italy's shame (11 April 2008)

The ERRC is not responsible for the content of information published by other organisations or media houses and provides these links here as a reference only.