Fundación Secretariado Gitano

Statement from the Fundación Secretariado Gitano regarding the situation of vulnerability experienced by the families from Astorga, aggravated after the electricity power cut [editar]

• Equal treatment
• Castile and León

On May 3 at 6 in the morning, a team of workers from an electrical company, accompanied by several agents of the National Police, removed the electric poles that allowed the supply of light to the families that live in the old railway houses of the " Pabellones del Oeste " of Astorga.

These are Spanish families of Trasmontano origin, a Portuguese minority associated with the Roma community, who have lived in this neighbourhood for more than 30 years. Without any type of prior notification, it is estimated that some 15 families have been affected, among which more than 30 boys and girls stand out, 5 of them babies under three years of age, and older people with certain chronic diseases that require health treatment in in which access to electricity is essential (insulin, growth vaccines, oxygen machines, etc.).

Given the removal of the electric poles, the Astorga City Council has been providing families since May 4 with two generators that allow them to have access to electricity.

This reality responds to the situation of chronic social exclusion that these families have lived in the neighbourhood for many years, a concern that was already reflected in a 2008 report[1] of the Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG). These houses lack the minimum habitability conditions, such as sewerage, purification or sanitation facilities.

In this sense, it must be taken into account that the situation of these families supposes a violation of their human rights, recognized both in the Spanish Constitution and in the human rights treaties, both European and international, signed by Spain.

For this reason, from FSG we demand that all the parties involved address this issue from a human rights perspective, that can give an adequate response to the highly vulnerable situation that these families are experiencing, which would mean the regularization of access to electricity supply and providing to the families a decent housing solution, avoiding residential segregation and with comprehensive support that guarantees their social inclusion.

[1] Spanish Version only "Estudio de las necesidades de la población gitana y trasmontana de los pabellones del Oeste de Astorga para la inclusión social. 2008".