Activists File Urgent Complaint to Stop Forced Eviction of Roma from Giugliano Camp in Italy
13 March 2025
Brussels, Rome, 13 March 2025: Activists from the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), with support from Associazione 21 luglio and the Comitato Campano con i Rom, have filed a collective complaint before the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) urging the Committee to ensure that the Italian Government adopt immediate measures to prevent an imminent eviction of Romani families from a camp at Via Carrafiello in Giugliano, in Campania, in the province of Naples. The eviction could take place any time up until 30th April 2025 after a ruling from a Naples Court adopted on 17th February. The complaint calls for a halt of this forced eviction (as well as any other further evictions of Romani families in Italy which do not comply with international law), for the provision of adequate alternative accommodation for the families, and for the development of long-term, integrated housing solutions for the at-risk Romani families.
“The families in this camp were pushed into ethnically segregated camps by the authorities and left to rot there, with little to no provision for basic infrastructure and safe living conditions. They have been repeatedly evicted; shunted from one camp to another for more than 20 years, and now, the municipality has decided to wash its hands of them completely with no offer of alternative accommodation for all the inhabitants. This is not ‘overcoming the camps’ this is Italy’s perennial failure to offer anything but a vicious cycle of exclusion, homelessness, and systemic discrimination to its most vulnerable families” said the ERRC’s spokesperson Jonathan Lee.
According to Carlo Stasolla, President of Associazione 21 luglio: “In an Italian context where more and more municipal administrations are engaged in actions to overcome mono-ethnic settlements, in Giugliano in Campania it seems, in a tragic return to the past, that the odious practice of forced evictions harmful to human rights and children's rights is being replicated. There are margins for mediation to avoid this and, we as an organisation, are available to identify solutions together with local and national authorities so that the forced eviction can be avoided.”
The ERRC, Associazione 21 luglio, and the Comitato Campano con i Rom argue that the proposed eviction violates provisions of the European Social Charter that guarantee the right to adequate housing and protection from discrimination (Article 31 and Article E). The Complaint requests interim measures based on the highly vulnerable situation the Romani families have been placed in due to the constant risk of forced evictions and the approaching eviction deadline of 30th April. The Complaint requests that the Committee instruct the Italian Government to:
- Immediately halt any further evictions and ensure that no Romani families are forcibly displaced from the Giugliano (Via Carrafiello) camp in Campania. This protection should be in place until a permanent and sustainable housing solution is developed and implemented, in full consultation with the affected families. Evictions should not occur without appropriate and lawful notice, access to legal counsel, and the provision of adequate, alternative housing.
- Provide safe and adequate temporary accommodation for all affected families, located in safe, accessible areas with access to essential services such as water, sanitation, and electricity. It is crucial that the evicted families have secure tenure in these accommodations while a long-term solution is developed. The temporary accommodation must meet basic standards of adequacy and respect for the dignity of the families involved.
- Develop a comprehensive and non-segregated housing plan for all Roma families in Via Carrafiello, based on consultation with the communities concerned. This plan must ensure the provision of adequate, permanent housing that respects the dignity of the Roma community, and guarantees access to social services, education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. The plan must prioritize non-segregated housing, providing families with an equal opportunity for social inclusion in broader society.
Background
The camp at Via Carrafiello in Giugliano in Campania is located in an abandoned industrial area. For most of the 80+ families living there, it is at least the third such segregated camp where they have lived and from which they have faced forced eviction each time. When they arrived in 2019, they were isolated from the city, surrounded by mounds of waste, with basic services and infrastructure either totally absent or severely inadequate. The dwellings are mostly constructed from scrap materials. Some families who lacked caravans were left homeless and forced to sleep in their cars or outdoors. Conditions have only worsened in the years since, including rat infestations, lack of sanitation, and risks from extreme weather.
The conditions in which these families are forced to endure eventually took a fatal toll when a 7-year-old Romani girl named Michelle was electrocuted and died due to faulty electrical wiring at the camp on 13th January 2024. The incident sparked public outcry, but predictably, the media attention quickly shifted toward allegations of violent behaviour by the grieving family members at the hospital, overshadowing the root cause of Michelle’s death – the hazardous conditions of the “camp”. On 25th January 2024, local authorities, including the Police, Carabinieri, military personnel, and water company employees, were sent to the “camp”. In the aftermath, waste was removed, electrical cables were secured, and vehicles were seized. However, these actions were followed by the disconnection of the water supply, initially leaving the remaining 450 Roma residents without access to clean water.
On 1st March 2024, the ERRC filed a formal complaint to the Prefect of Naples and the Mayor of Giugliano, highlighting the dire housing situation at the Giugliano camp in Via Carrafiello. The ERRC’s complaint called for an urgent investigation into the institutional failures that have left the community without essential services and viable housing alternatives. It also demanded that the Prefect of Naples and the Mayor of Giugliano develop a comprehensive plan for adequate and sustainable housing solutions for all families residing in the settlement. On 6th March 2024, the ERRC filed a separate complaint with the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Naples North, the Public Prosecutor at the Juvenile Court, and the Police, calling for a thorough investigation into potential institutional negligence and safety violations that may have contributed to the tragic death of the 7-year-old Romani girl named Michelle.
In April 2024, the Municipality of Giugliano launched a call for applications, offering five apartments of 120 square meters to accommodate around 50 people. Consequently, protests erupted among Italian citizens in Giugliano in Campania, opposing the allocation of housing to Roma families. Some non-Roma families in protest occupied the apartments intended for the Roma families who won the tender. Considering the climate of racial hatred, the five families ultimately refused the offer.
On 17th February 2025, the Tribunale di Napoli Nord, Ninth Civil Section, issued a judgment which reaffirmed a previous eviction order. It set a new enforcement deadline of 30th April 2025, emphasising that the eviction should be carried out with medical assistance due to concerns over the poor living conditions and health risks faced by the occupants. The ruling confirms that the eviction order applies to all individuals living at the site and that prior notice to the inhabitants on the date of the eviction is not required. The court also mandated that law enforcement agencies to act immediately upon request, with any unjustified refusal or delay potentially leading to legal consequences, including criminal liability for public officials obstructing enforcement.
This press release is also available in Italian.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Jonathan Lee
Advocacy & Communications Director
European Roma Rights Centre
jonathan.lee@errc.org
+32 49 288 7679
Rosi Mangiacavallo (in Italian)
Human Rights Monitor for Italy
European Roma Rights Centre
rosi.mangiacavallo@errc.org
+39 328 9420 715
Carlo Stasolla
President
Associazione 21 luglio ETS
c.stasolla@21luglio.org
+39 320 098 7154
Barbara Battaglia
Ufficio Comunicazione stampa
bbbarbarabattaglia@gmail.com
+39 3666292992
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