ERRC Roma rights 2022-2027

Examples of immediate results - In 2023, ERRC supported 94 strategic litigation cases in ODA countries. At the end of the year, 60 cases were pending before national bodies (courts, equality bodies, prosecutors), 24 cases pending before European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), and 10 before UN Treaty Bodies. - ERRC submitted new applications before ECtHR on behalf of applicants related to six cases. - In addition, 170 mass complaints were supported, of which 26 were finished. - In total, 78 new cases were initiated during the year (of which 72 were mass complaints where rights holders were mobilised to get authorities to act). Per country, the new cases were distributed as follows: Albania: 12 BiH: 7 Kosovo: 3 Moldova: 2 Montenegro: 3 North Macedonia: 16 Serbia: 33 Turkiye: 2 Examples of changes that ERRC has contributed to Childhood In 2023, the ERRC challenged the discrimination faced by Romani children in state care in Serbia, by filing a collective complaint against the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, the City of Belgrade, and the City Centre for Social Work Belgrade. This complaint is based on a comprehensive legal action by ERRC aimed to compel systemic reforms and protect the rights of Romani children, ensuring their equal treatement and well-being. ERRC conducted a research in Ukraine on Romani children in state care. The research revealed that institutionalisation of the state care system can be dangerous for Roma in the event of war. In the longer run, ERRC will use the findings of the research to recommend Ukraine to collect ethnically disaggregated data to develop effective inclusion policies for Roma. Environment In 2023, there was a positive court finding from a case that ERRC has been pursuing in Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding access to water for Romani communities. This was a landmark decision and the first of its kind in the country. It was followed by a successful compensation request for over 100 Romani individuals. ERRC believes this outcome has notably shifted the courts' perspective on the legal strength and rights of the Romani community. In North Macedonia, the ERRC's mass complaints to the Equality Body led to changes in the Law on Residence, allowing Roma living in informal and social housing to register their addresses with the municipality or social work centres. This legal adjustment facilitates better access to services and rights for these communities. ERRC's advocacy and strategic litigation work has influenced public bodies and institutions. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Ombudsman has issued recommendations regarding water and environmental access in Romani settlements in Priutace. In Montenegro, the Equality Body has issues an opinion and subsequent recommendations concerning electricity access for Roma. Education Authorities and educational institutions in North Macedonia, Serbia and Albania have taken steps to combat segregation of Roma children in schools. Through ERRC's strategic litigation, as well as through mass complaints where ERRC has supported people to report discrimination, the pressure has increased on authorities to work more actively to reduce discrimination against Roma children at school, for instance through adopting action plans for inclusion. In Bosnia and Hercegovina, the ERRC's advocacy has contributed to changes of school textbooks, where content about Romani representation and Roma history have been incorporated. Health In 2023, the ERRC facilitated to take two cases of criminal complaints against public hospitals in North Macedonia to the Europan Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The high-profile nature of the cases in North Macedonia - which involved tragic deaths of two pregnant Romani women and their unborn children due to gross medical negligence - brought greater attention to medical standrards and discrimination towards Romani women in health care in the country. ERRC's mass complaints work in 2023 in Montenegro led to an important finding of discrimination by the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, whose issued opinion included a comprehensive set of recommendations to public health authorities aimed at improving health care access for the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities. Identity The ERRC provided emergency support to lawyers in Ukraine to aid Roma in accessing necessary identity documentation. ERRC also published the first and only human rights focused report on the situation of Romani refugees from Ukraine. The attention of governments, EU institutions, and the media brought the issues around the risk of statelessness fo Romani refugees from Ukraine to greater attention and allowed the ERRC to push for eventual greater security of those without identity documents. In North Macedonia, legislative changes were made in October 2023, amending the laws on Residence and Domicile Registration and Identification Documents. ERRC played a role in bringing related complaints on discrimination against Roma living in informal settings forward, and thereby contributed to put the issue on the agenda. The introduced amendments simplified procedures for registering the residence of homeless individuals at social work centres or relevant institutions. They also provided mechanisms for people living in non-legalized houses to document property ownership and obtain identity documents. Furthermore, the new law ensures that every child born in North Macedonia is registered within 45 days, regardless of their parents' citizenship or personal status. Through mass complaints, the ERRC facilitated the issuance of birth certificates and IDs for Romani individuals in Serbia and Albania, granting them access to essential services, rights, and opportunities that come with official documentation. Migration A judgement was made by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in cases of racial profiling of Roma at the border to/from North Macedonia. The decision encompassed three separate applications related to North Macedonia, and condemns the discriminatory practices that have long targeted Romani individuals at the border. The judgement signified for the first time that the ECtHR judges were taking a decisive stance on an issue that had long been ignored and set a precedent for similar cases across the continent. Police ERRC's country reports on mistreatment of Romani people in criminal legal systems in North Macedonia and Serbia have challenged the continued denial by governments of systemic racism within institutions. ERRC addressed a misclassification of a racist attach in Turekovac village in Serbia. Instead of treating it as a minor offence, the ERRC's advocacy led to that authorities ordered a criminal investigation for violent behavior under the criminal code. ERRC sees this reclassification as a critical step towards ensuring that hate crimes against Romani people are recognized and prosecuted with seriousness.

Ternipe childhood. Authorities responsible for child protection stop discriminate against Romani children and families, so that Romani children are no longer overrepresented among children in care. Kherovnipe environment. Public authorities ensure that all Roma have access to secure tenure in integrated communities and with equal access to public services, so that Roma are no longer disproportionately living in environmentally degraded conditions. Sicljovipe education. Authorities adopt and implement desegregation plans as well as policies that combat other forms of discrimination against Roma at school. Sastipe health. Public health authorities guarantee that Romani women have access to non-segregated and otherwise equal reproductive healthcare. Lila identity. Authorities ensure that every Romani person has a nationality and can prove it. Piripnasko migration. Border guards and other officials end discrimination against Roma who travel to and move within the European Union. Shngale police. Prosecutors and interior ministries acknowledge antigypsyism in policing and take the necessary steps to end it, particularly by punishing police who mistreat Roma. The objectives are slightly rephrased from ERRC's strategy, in which they are labelled as theories of change related to ERRC's prioritised thematic areas.