Europe's Forgotten Citizens Defending Roma Rights in the European Union

There are between ten and twelve million Roma living in the European Union today – roughly equal to the population of a medium-sized EU Member State, like Belgium or Greece. Yet despite the fact that the Roma have played an integral part in European history and culture for over seven centuries, most of us still know very little about them. And what we think we do know is more often than not based on ignorance, prejudice and stereotypes. This has led to a situation where millions of Roma in the EU today face extreme levels of social deprivation. Locations Cs ny, Csobánka , Pomázand Budapest, Hungary Seville , Córdoba , Spain In the southern Spanish city of Seville we learn about ACCEDER, an EU project that helps Roma people find work and homes. We meet Johnny Borja Silva, a young Spanish Roma who has found a job as a butcher thanks to the scheme. European Parliament, Brussels We speak to L­via Járóka, one of two Members of the European Parliament of Roma origin.

European Commission | June 17, 2008

Tags:. .mediumsized. .acceder. .borja. .deprivation. .prejudice