Fundación Secretariado Gitano

The Council for the Elimination of Racial or Ethnic Discrimination (CEDRE) in Spain approves a Recommendation to prevent anti-Roma practices [editar]

• Equal treatment
• National level

Following the events in Peal de Becerro (Jaén) on 17 July and in Íllora (Granada) on 15 August, Fundación Secretariado Gitano, as a member of CEDRE, proposed this Recommendation in August, with the aim of alerting and making visible certain anti-Roma behaviour towards local Roma families when any of their members may have committed a criminal act.

In both cases, demonstrations were called to demand the expulsion of Roma families. In the context of the demonstrations, some residents attacked their houses throwing stones, overturning vehicles, and burning their property, shouting "They must be thrown out". As a result, families fled their villages for fear of reprisals.

Fundación Secretariado Gitano believes that these are not isolated cases, but that it is an anti-Roma persecution that is repeated in Spain.

In 1984- Torredonjimeno (Jaén), 1986- Martos (Jaén), 1991- Mancha Real (Jaén), 2005- Saucejo (Sevilla), 2005- Castellar (Jaén), 2014 Estepa- (Seville), 2014- Castellar (Jaén), 2019- El Pozo (Madrid).

In all these cases, the seriousness of the acts of violence perpetrated requires an adequate response from all the authorities responsible for the prevention, protection and safety of all citizens on equal terms, focusing on preventing and eradicating acts such as those described above, as well as any other example of structural or occasional antigypsyism.

It is essential that the authorities act and keep implementing their protocols against hate crimes, as these actions are often crucial to address and solve serious cases of antigypsyism.

For all these reasons, the Council for the Elimination of Racial or Ethnic Discrimination (CEDRE) will now recommend:

1. To the authorities (State, Autonomous and Local), including Government Delegations and Subdelegations, on the basis of the National Roma Strategy for Equality, Inclusion and Participation 2021-2030, of existing regional and local strategies and policies for equality and inclusion of the Roma population and of the Recommendation No. 13, to activate appropriate and effective measures to preventively and actively combat antigypsyism, discrimination and intolerance against the Roma population, addressing aspects such as stigmatisation, prejudice, intersectional and multiple discrimination, hate crimes and hate speech, and to draw up intervention protocols for cases of anti-Roma group attacks, which include all the necessary actions to guarantee immediate action and protection for Roma individuals and families. These protocols should pay special attention to the protection of minors, people with disabilities and the elderly.

2. To the Specialised Prosecutor's Offices against hate crimes and discrimination and to the Administration of Justice, that, in these cases, should act ex officio and should investigate hate speech broadcast on social media.

3. To the State Security Forces and Corps, to continue applying the provisions of the Protocol for action by the security forces and corps for hate crimes and conduct that violates the legal norms on discrimination and the II Action Plan to Combat Hate Crimes 2022-2024.

4. To the media and social media, to provide truthful and objective information regarding cases of antigypsyism, that is free of prejudices and anti-Roma stereotypes and in accordance with professional ethics and European and International standards in terms of human rights, equal treatment and non-discrimination.

5. To the Independent Authority for Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination, in accordance with the mandate granted by Spanish Law 15/2022, of 12 July, on equal treatment and non-discrimination, which must be created within 6 months of its entry into force, to consider as a priority the creation of a specific section on the issue of antigypsyism to carry out monitoring and studies, and to develop mechanisms for the eradication of antigypsyism, necessary in cases of anti-Roma group attacks.

6. To the Spanish Ombudsman and the regional Ombudsmen, in relation to the serious anti-Roma incidents (like pogroms) that have taken place. In accordance with their respective mandates, they should continue with ex officio enquiries without delay.

7. To Social entities and human rights organisations to join in the condemnation of these violent acts when Roma people are involved. The rights of Roma people are human rights.

8. That in the drafting of measures affecting the protection and defence of the rights of Roma people, Roma should be involved in the processes to exercise their rights under equal conditions.

9. Local administrations and community social services and other public institutions at local level should assume their responsibility and immediately adopt all necessary urgent measures, including police protection, so that the basic needs of the Roma people affected are covered from the outset.

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