This report by the Commissioner for Administration and Protection of Human Rights details the living conditions of the Roma community in Cyprus.
The Commissioner recorded the real daily life of the Roma community in Cyprus, including the challenges it has to face, the obstacles it has to overcome, but also the needs it has to meet, in order to reach adequate standard of living. To obtain this information, they drafted the views and opinions of authories such as Social Welfare Services, the Ministry of Education and the Turkish Cypriot Property Management Service, as well as of the views of the non-governmental organization CypROM.
The main issues, which the Commissioner examined, are those of housing conditions, education, employment opportunities and access to health and welfare services – which were considered inter-related and interdependent factors for the purpose of ensuring decent living conditions. As a particular barrier for Roma people to access the labour market, the Commissioner noted the consequent knowledge of the Greek language. In addition, the housing of Roma in unsuitable premises/houses, in conjunction with difficulties in accessing adequate health services, exacerbate social marginalization and widen the gap between Roma and the rest of the society.
In response to the findings, the Commissioner submitted a series of Recommendations to all competent services, to adopt measures which improve and correct the current situation and will ensure decent living conditions for the Roma community.
Ex-Officio Report Summary (English)