Romani people still fight for dignity in a prejudiced world by Mia Rodríguez

April 8th marks International Romani Day, a day that should be dedicated to celebrating the rich culture, history, and unbroken spirit of the Romani people. Instead, it serves as a grim reminder that despite entering the 21st century with all our progressive claims and human rights conventions, the Romani community remains at the mercy of deep-rooted prejudices, persecution, and systemic discrimination. In some places, it’s even worse than it was a century ago.

For generations, the Romani people have been the convenient scapegoats of Europe, portrayed as nomads, thieves, and social parasites. Stereotypes deeply rooted in ignorance and fear persist like a stubborn weed, sprouting not just in dark corners of outdated minds but in policies and institutions that should know better. From forced evictions to segregated education and targeted violence, Europe has failed the Romani people time and again.

History Repeating Itself It’s not just the distant past that shames us, the present is no better. In the early 20th century, Romani communities across Europe faced mass persecution, culminating in the Porajmos, the Romani Holocaust, where an estimated half a million were murdered by the Nazi regime. Yet, even after the war, recognition of their suffering was delayed and remains incomplete. In today’s world, Romani people are still demonized, as if history taught us nothing.

Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and even so-called progressive Western countries like France and Italy still engage in practices that target Romani communities. Governments may change, slogans might evolve, but the essence of prejudice remains frustratingly resilient.

The Social Leper of Europe Across Europe, Romani communities are herded into ghettos, deprived of basic services, and treated as second-class citizens. When they are forced to move, they're vilified as rootless, perpetually transient by choice rather than necessity. The system is rigged against them from birth, and the political class often uses them as easy targets to whip up fear and populist sentiments.

The irony of modern Europe waving human rights flags while treating Romani people like unwanted debris is nauseating. Authorities demolish settlements under the guise of “cleaning up” cities, as if poverty and suffering are stains to be wiped away rather than symptoms of a deeper social disease.

Education: The Crucial Battleground Education is supposed to be the great equalizer, but for Romani children, it’s often a conveyor belt to further marginalization. Segregated classrooms, inferior education, and bullying are common. Teachers and authorities turn a blind eye, complicit in perpetuating a cycle of poverty and exclusion. And when Romani families fight back, they’re labelled troublemakers or opportunists.

Yet, resilience is ingrained in their culture. Despite systemic barriers, countless Romani activists, educators, and artists are fighting for change, proving that dignity is not negotiable and that identity is not something to be erased or tamed.

The Real Parasite: Racism The real parasite here isn’t the Romani community but the racism that latches onto societies, feeding on ignorance and fear. It’s high time to stop blaming those who struggle for their struggles and start confronting the prejudices that create them.

A Call for Justice On this International Romani Day, let’s move beyond tokenism and promises. The Romani deserve more than sympathy, they deserve equality, respect, and justice. They deserve leaders who see them as people, not problems. They deserve societies that acknowledge their culture, not reduce it to clichés.

We need to stand in solidarity, not just today but every day. The unbroken spirit of the Romani community deserves not only to survive but to thrive. And that won’t happen unless we shatter the chains of prejudice and confront the uncomfortable truths about our so-called modern civilization.