Roma Denied Access to Social Services in Romania

10 July 2002

According to the regional daily newspaper Transilvania Jurnal of March 22, 2002, two hundred and fifty Roma from the villages of Finteuşu Mic, Hideaga, Mogoşeşti, and Ferşig in the Satulung administrative area, participated in a demonstration in front of the Satulung Mayor's Office, reportedly because they are denied social aid payments. In the article, the Mayor of Satulung, Mr Bujorel Mureşan, stated that the reason for the non-payment was a lack of funds for social benefits. The article also reported that Mr Ionel Pop, County Council Secretary, had stated that too many Roma sought social benefits.

In another case, according to a March 8, 2002 report in the weekly electronic bulletin Roma News, on March 5, 2002, dozens of Roma also staged a protest in the town of Hărman in Braşov County after six hundred Roma reportedly were denied social aid, despite having completed the mandatory 72 hours community work to qualify for social aid. Protesters reported that they would not do any more work until they received the money they were owed. According to the article, similar protests have taken place in the Romanian towns of Baia Mare, Mangalia and Iaşi.

(Roma News, Transilvania Jurnal)