ERRC Challenging Evictions in Romania

09 April 2014

In December 2010 76 Romani families were evicted from their homes on Coastei street in the city of Cluj-Napoca, in North Western Romania. They were evicted in the middle of winter, in contravention of Romanian law. They were not given proper notice, or even enough time to gather all of their belongings.

The families were given accommodation in small modular units on the site of the city’s main rubbish dump, at Pata-Rât, outside Cluj-Napoca in 16 metres squared units, without hot water. Each bathroom is shared between four families. The area is remote and isolated.

The European Roma Rights Centre supported the evicted families to take a legal case following the eviction and relocation to the site of the rubbish dump. In December 2013 Cluj County Court held that the eviction was illegal, and that the module accommodation did not comply with domestic law. The court ordered city authorities to relocate the evicted families. City authorities decided to appeal the decision. This video tells the story of the community from Coastei street and their continuing struggle for justice.