Open letter to Mr Kari Häkämies, the Interior Minister of Finland

30 June 1999

Open letter to Mr Kari Häkämies, the Interior Minister of Finland, to call attention to the situation of Roma from Slovakia who have fled to Finland in recent days; to urge that Finnish authorities consider claims for asylum by Slovak Roma in accordance with Finland's obligations under the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees; and to urge that Finnish authorities not impose a visa regime on Slovak citizens in response to the issue.

The text of the letter sent by the ERRC follows:

Dear Mr Minister,

The European Roma Rights Center (ERRC), an international public interest law organisation which monitors the human rights situation of Roma in Europe, wishes to express its concern for the Slovak Roma who have recently claimed asylum in Finland.

Roma living in Slovakia are victims of discrimination and human rights abuses and the authorities have systematically failed to guarantee their rights and to provide remedy in cases when their rights have been violated. Hate speech against Roma is common. Skinhead assaults on Roma are frequent and have not been investigated properly and impartially. Where prosecution occurs there is a trend to deny the racial animus of the crimes.

The ERRC urges the Government to consider claims for political asylum coming from Slovak Roma in accordance with its obligations under the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees. The ERRC firmly believes that many Roma from Slovakia may be able to claim persecution on the basis of their ethnicity. In such cases persecution would be the cumulative result of racial discrimination and harassment. For many Roma in Slovakia systematic racial mistreatment begins in early childhood and is a fact in practically all areas of life. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees expressed a similar attitude, concluding in the 1998 Guidelines Relating to the Eligibility of Slovak Roma Asylum Seekers that "it is clear that Slovak Roma may well be able to substantiate refugee claims based on severe discrimination on ethnic grounds".

Furthermore, Mr Minister, the ERRC urges the Government to refrain from the introduction of a visa requirement in response to the current situation. As the experience in Slovakia has shown since the reintroduction of a visa requirement by the United Kingdom, such a reaction only serves to increase the animosity of the majority population towards the Roma, and ensures that Romani refugees are effectively denied the right to seek asylum in the country which has imposed the visa requirement. The ERRC does not consider this to be a solution. An introduction of visas for Slovak citizens would most probably result only in the aggravation and prolongation of the problem.

Yours sincerely,

Dimitrina Petrova
Executive Director

Persons wishing to voice concern to Finnish authorities are urged to contact:
Mr Kari Häkämies
Minister for Interior
Ministry of Interior of Finland
PO Box 257
FIN-00171 Helsinki
Finland
Fax: 00 358 9 160 2887