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Bulgaria: Situation of Roma; availability of state protection (March 2005 - August 2006)

It is estimated that the population of Roma in Bulgaria ranges between 600,000 (Reuters 23 Mar. 2006b) and 800,000 (Financial Times 12 July 2006; COE 29 Mar. 2006, 8).

In its 29 March 2006 report on Bulgaria's progress in implementing recommendations by the Commissioner for Human Rights, the Council of Europe (COE) indicates that the most critical problem facing Bulgaria's Romani community is their "ghettoisation" (ibid.), which is compounded by lack of access to basic services and adequate housing (ibid.). Roma in Bulgaria also face "discriminatory" treatment with regards to housing, education (ibid.; BHC Apr. 2006, Sec. 9), proper health care (ibid.; EU 16 May 2006, 11), justice and employment (BHC Apr. 2006, Sec. 9; COE 29 Mar. 2006, 8). According to survey data, an estimated two thirds of Bulgarian Roma live in segregated "ghettos" (Reuters 23 Mar. 2006b). However, the government of Bulgaria attributes the residential segregation of Bulgarian Roma to "a legacy of the past" rather than any deliberate government policy (COE 29 Mar. 2006, 16). In its May 2006 report on the Bulgarian government's progress towards accession, the European Union (EU) suggested that the "[s]ocial inclusion of the Roma minority still requires substantial efforts" (16 May 2006, 12).

Citing a survey carried out in 2006 by the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), which studied perceptions of Roma in Bulgarian media, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) reports that 35 per cent of interpretative texts reviewed had a negative view of Roma while 32 per cent had a neutral view (BTA 18 Apr. 2006).

In May 2005, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that "hundreds of residents" of a Sofia neighbourhood held a protest in which they called for the eviction of Roma from the area following a street fight between Roma and non-Roma (28 May 2005). Further or corroborating information on this incident could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

Education

According to uncorroborated survey data released by Reuters, roughly six per cent of Bulgarian Roma graduate from secondary school and a quarter of one per cent graduate from university (23 Mar. 2006b).

In March 2006, the COE noted that up to 70 per cent of Romani children went to schools that were composed exclusively of Roma – schools in which the education is usually of "lower quality" (29 Mar. 2006, 8). The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), cited in an Amnesty International (AI) report on Bulgaria, estimates that Roma represent between 70 and 90 per cent of the pupils in special schools for children with disabilities (AI 23 May 2006). The Bulgarian government has stated that the educational segregation of Roma "was an unintended consequence of the administrative division of the school system" and reflected residential patterns rather than government policy (COE 29 Mar. 2006, 17).

In October 2005, the Sofia District Court ruled in favour of the ERRC by deciding that the separation of Romani children from the broader school system at School No. 103 amounted to racial segregation and violated the children's right to equal educational opportunities (BHC Apr. 2006, Sec. 9; ERRC 26 Oct. 2005; IHF 8 June 2006, 108; AI 23 May 2006). The Court indicated that the Minister of Education, local authorities and the school shared responsibility for this violation (ibid.; ERRC 26 Oct. 2005; BHC Apr. 2006). According to the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC), the ruling that the separation of Romani schoolchildren amounted to racial segregation is unprecedented not only in Bulgaria but in all of Europe (ibid.; see also ERRC 26 Oct. 2005).

The government has reportedly taken several measures to improve the educational situation of Roma in Bulgaria (COE 29 Mar. 2006, 9). For example, in September 2005, it created a centre to facilitate the integration of children and pupils belonging to minorities (ibid.). In 2005, the Ministry of Finance targeted funds for transportation, books and canteen facilities to underprivileged children, allocating roughly 25 million euros [approximately CAN$35 million (Bank of Canada 29 Mar. 2006)] to municipalities for this purpose (COE 29 Mar. 2006, 9). The government has also stated that it is funding special programs to increase "social mixing in schools" and to provide support for "underachieving schools" (ibid., 17). In its assessment of Bulgaria's progress towards European Union (EU) accession, the Commission of European Communities qualifies the government's efforts to improve Romani school attendance as largely successful (EU 16 May 2006, 11).

Employment

According to survey data cited by Reuters, 84 per cent of Bulgarian Roma live in poverty and more than half are unemployed (23 Mar. 2006b). Financial Times cites a report by the United Nations Development Programme that puts the Roma's unemployment rate at roughly 60 per cent (12 July 2006). A 2 December 2005 article by the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) cites data from a survey by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB), which found that over half of Romani children in Bulgaria were involved in illegal labour. This information could not be corroborated by the Research Directorate.

National employment initiatives aimed primarily at members of the Romani community have continued in 2006 (EU 16 May 2006, 11). For example, the National Literacy and Occupational Training Programme for the Roma, run by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, aims to assist Roma to develop skills necessary for employment (BTA 13 June 2006; Hindustan Times 13 June 2006). The program, which operates in the cities of Sofia, Varna, Bourgas and Montana, has a budget of 1.65 million leva [approximately CAN$1.20 million (XE.com 14 Aug. 2005)] for 2006 (BTA 13 June 2006; Hindustan Times 13 June 2006).

Housing

According to the Council of Europe's Follow Up Report on Bulgaria (2001-2005), Roma reside in settlements that tend to lack basic services such as drinking water, electricity and sewage (29 Mar. 2006, 8; see also ERRC 21 Apr. 2005). For instance, the majority of the 6,000 inhabitants in the Romani district of Samokov, 100 kilometres east of Sofia, live in buildings made of salvaged material providing "unsuitable" shelter (COE 29 Mar. 2006, 8). However, the Bulgarian government has responded that, since the visit of the COE's Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights, access to electricity has been provided and new brick houses have been built (ibid.).

As part of the Decade of Roma Inclusion program, the Bulgarian cabinet has allocated funds for the construction of 30,065 new houses and the refurbishment of 47,245 houses by 2015, with a goal of improving the housing conditions of 412,500 Roma in 100 neighbourhoods in 88 municipalities across Bulgaria (Hindustan Times 11 May 2006; AFP 22 Mar. 2006). The plan also calls for improved infrastructure, such as water, sewage, electricity and street lamps (ibid.). However, according to a Reuters news article, "rights groups are sceptical, citing past failures to carry out less ambitious plans" (23 Mar. 2006a).

The ERRC reports that because Roma are often unable to legally register their housing, they are vulnerable to forced eviction and are frequently made homeless without compensation or alternative housing arrangements (21 Apr. 2005).

On 31 August 2005, municipal authorities reportedly demolished between 20 and 25 houses in a Romani neighbourhood in Sofia, leaving up to 150 inhabitants homeless (AI 23 May 2006; BHC Apr. 2006, Sec. 9; IHF 8 June 2006, 108; ERRC 1 Sept. 2005; see also The Guardian 1 Sept. 2005). In response, the ERRC sent a letter to Prime Minister Serguei Stanishev, urging him to intervene and stop further forced evictions (ERRC 1 Sept. 2005). Further information on this case could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

In September 2005, the Sofia District Court ordered that the planned eviction of Roma from their homes in Vuzrazhdane be postponed because the government had made no prior alternative housing arrangements for residents (AI 23 May 2006; IHF 8 June 2006, 108; see also BHC Apr. 2006, Sec. 9).

Similarly, in June 2006, under pressure from European parliamentarians (BIRN 6 July 2006) and international human rights groups (AP 30 June 2006), the mayor of Sofia postponed the demolition of 60 "illegal" homes where roughly 200 Roma live on the outskirts of the city (ibid.; BIRN 6 July 2006).

Government

In 2006, Bulgaria took over the chairmanship of the Decade of Roma Inclusion (2005-2015) for one year (BTA 4 July 2006; Xinhua News Agency 4 July 2006). The Decade of Roma Inclusion, which was launched in April 2005 by the Open Society Institute (OSI) and the World Bank, is a program which seeks to improve the quality of life of Roma in eight Eastern European countries by increasing integration and cultural preservation while combating poverty and discrimination (ibid.). The COE notes that, as part of the Decade of Roma Inclusion, Bulgaria has adopted a decade-long national action plan in an effort to improve the conditions of Roma in four priority areas: education, employment, health and housing (29 Mar. 2006, 9). Bulgaria's National Programme for Improvement of the Living Conditions of Roma, which was launched in March 2006, has a budget of 630 million euros [approximately CAN$897 million (Bank of Canada 16 May 2006)] over ten years (EU 16 May 2006, 11). The 2006 IHF report on Bulgaria, however, indicates that the implementation of government programs aimed at integrating Roma into society is generally inadequate (8 June 2006, 108). Similarly, the EU notes that "[a]dditional measures are needed to enhance implementation of the Action Plan for the Decade of Roma Inclusion" (EU 16 May 2006, 11).

January 2004 Bulgarian legislation provided for the creation of a Commission for Protection from Discrimination, which began its work in 2005 (IHF 8 June 2006, 107). However, the EU reported in May 2006 that the commission was not operating fully and lacked adequate funding (16 May 2006, 11; see also IHF 8 June 2006, 107).

In its 2005 report on Bulgaria, Freedom House notes that no political party represents the Roma, "despite attempts to create one" (6 July 2005).

The "ultra-nationalist" Ataka political coalition, which won representation in the Bulgarian parliament following June 2005 elections, reportedly has a strong anti-Roma platform (IHF 8 June 2006, 109). The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee notes that Ataka has characterized Roma as "a criminal community and a threat to ethnic Bulgarians" (BHC Apr. 2006, Sec. 9). During a 21 June 2005 rally held in Sofia, Ataka reportedly called for the "de-Gypsyisation" of Bulgaria and proposed that Roma be interned in camps (ERRC 28 July 2005).

Judiciary

In its 2006 report on Bulgaria, International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) indicates that Bulgarian courts handed down several decisions in 2005 that found a number of commercial establishments, including cafeterias, restaurants and hotels, guilty of ethnic discrimination; the courts also found a number of private employers guilty of racial discrimination for their refusal to hire Roma employees (IHF 8 June 2006, 108; BHC Apr. 2006, Sec. 9). The COE notes that Roma "are frequently refused entry to certain public places such as bars and shops" (29 Mar. 2006, 8).

In May 2005, a Sofia court ruled in favour of a representative of the Romani organization Romany Baht who had filed a racial discrimination suit against a hotel owned by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences after it cancelled the group's reservation for accommodation and a seminar room in order not to "risk the hotel's image" (Reuters 27 May 2005).

In June 2005, a Blagoevgrad court found a restaurant guilty of racial discrimination after it refused to serve Romani customers (AI 23 May 2006; ERRC 1 Feb. 2006b; ibid. 27 June 2005).

In July 2005, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) upheld a decision by a local court in the Nachova v. Bulgaria case, which involved the shooting death of two unarmed Romani conscripts by military police in 1996 (ERRC 1 Feb. 2006a; ibid. 7 July 2005; AI 23 May 2006; IHF 8 June 2006, 105). The ECtHR agreed that Bulgarian authorities were guilty of not investigating the allegedly racially-motivated killings (ibid.; AI 23 May 2006) and found the state responsible for the deaths (ibid.).

In November 2005, the ERRC won a discrimination suit at the Sofia District Court after the latter found a private business guilty of racial discrimination when it refused to hire a Romani man; the man was awarded the equivalent of 300 euros [approximately CAN$417 (Bank of Canada 16 Nov. 2005)] in compensation (ERRC 16 Nov. 2005).

In February 2006, a Sofia Court ruled that a decree issued by the Office of the National Prosecutor violated domestic and international law and was discriminatory toward Roma (ibid. 3 Feb. 2006; ibid. 3 Apr. 2006; see also BHC Apr. 2006, Sec. 9). The court concluded that the prosecutor viewed "'Romani people [as] undisciplined, unruly, irrational, greedy and uncivilized'" (ERRC 3 Feb. 2006; ibid. 3 Apr. 2006). The National Prosecutor was convicted for discriminating against Roma, and, according to the BHC, the case highlighted "a significant problem in the Bulgarian criminal justice system, which systematically discriminates against the Roma, leaving them defenceless when they are victims of a crime, but pursuing them with disproportionate harshness when they are accused of perpetrating crimes" (BHC Apr. 2006, Sec. 9).

Also in February 2006, the ECtHR made two separate judgements in favour of Roma who had been severely assaulted by the police, although the rulings did not find the police guilty of racial discrimination (ERRC 24 Feb. 2006).

In June 2006, a Plovdiv appeals court ruled that a discotheque was guilty of racial discrimination when it refused entry to Romani youth, a judgement based on Bulgaria's Protection Against Discrimination Act (ibid. 8 June 2006).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France-Presse (AFP). 22 March 2006. "Bulgaria Moves to Improve Roma Housing." (Factiva)
_____. 28 May 2005. "Bulgarians Protest Against Gypsies." (Factiva)

Amnesty International (AI). 23 May 2006. "Bulgaria." Amnesty International Report 2006. <http://web.amnesty.org/report2006/bgr-summary-eng> [Accessed 11 Aug. 2006]

Associated Press (AP). 30 June 2006. "Bulgarian Authorities Scrap Plans to Demolish Roma Ghetto Under Pressure from Human Rights Groups." (Factiva)

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN). 6 July 2006. Boryana Dzhambazova. "Bulgaria: Demolition of Sofia's Roma Quarter Halted." Balkan Insight. (NEXIS/Institute for War and Peace Reporting) [Accessed 14 July 2006]

Bank of Canada. 16 May 2006. "Currency Conversion Results." <http://www.bankofcanada.ca/cgi-bin/famecgi_fdps> [Accessed 14 Aug. 2006]
_____. 29 March 2006. "Currency Conversion Results." <http://www.bankofcanada.ca/cgi-bin/famecgi_fdps> [Accessed 14 Aug. 2006]
_____. 16 November 2005. "Currency Conversion Results." <http://www.bankofcanada.ca/cgi-bin/famecgi_fdps> [Accessed 14 Aug. 2006]

Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC). April 2006. Human Rights in Bulgaria in 2005: Annual Report of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. <http://www.bghelsinki.org/annual/hr2005-en.pdf> [Accessed 8 Aug. 2006]

Bulgarian News Agency (BTA). 4 July 2006. "Bulgaria Takes Over Chairmanship of Decade of Roma Inclusion." (Factiva)
_____. 13 June 2006. "BGN 1.65 Mln Earmarked for Roma Literacy, Occupational Training Programme." (Factiva)
_____. 18 April 2006. "Survey Studies Media Reports About Roma." (Factiva)
_____. 2 December 2005. "More than Half Roma Children Involved Illegal Labour – CITUB Survey." (Factiva)

Council of Europe (COE). 29 March 2006. Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights. Follow Up Report on Bulgaria (2001-2005): Assessment of the Progress Made in Implementing the Recommendations of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. <https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=983989&BackColorInternet=99B5AD&BackColorIntranet=FABF45&BackColorLogged=FFC679> [Accessed 14 Aug. 2006]

European Roma Rights Center (ERRC). 8 June 2006. "Justice for Romani Victims of Racial Discrimination in Bulgaria." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 9 June 2006]
_____. 3 April 2006. Roma Rights Quarterly. No. 1. "Bulgarian Court Finds the National Prosecutor's Office Discriminated Against Roma." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 4 Apr. 2006]
_____. 24 February 2006. "European Court Issues Two Judgements Against Bulgaria." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 27 Feb. 2006]
_____. 3 February 2006. "Bulgarian Court Finds the National Prosecutor's Office Discriminated Against Roma." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 3 Feb. 2006]
_____. 1 February 2006a. Roma Rights Quarterly. No. 3. "European Court Affirms Failure to Investigate Racial Motivation Amounts to Discrimination." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 7 Feb. 2006]
_____. 1 February 2006b. Roma Rights Quarterly. No. 3. "ERRC Wins Anti-Discrimination Case Against Bulgarian Restaurant." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 7 Feb. 2006]
_____. 28 July 2005. Roma Rights Quarterly. No. 2. "Extreme Nationalist Party Enters Bulgarian Parliament." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 28 July 2005]
_____. 16 November 2005. "Bulgarian Court Fines Employer for Denying Access to Employment to Roma." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 16 Nov. 2005]
_____. 26 October 2005. "Desegregation Court Victory: ERRC Prevails in Court Against Bulgarian Ministry of Education on School Segregation of Roma." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 26 Oct. 2005]
_____. 1 September 2005. "ERRC Letter: Forced Evictions of Roma in Bulgaria." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 1 Sept. 2005]
_____. 7 July 2005. "European Court of Human Rights Confirms Racial Discrimination." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 7 July 2005]
_____. 27 June 2005. "ERRC: Bulgarian Courts Continue to Move Against Racial Discriminators." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 29 July 2005]
_____. 21 April 2005. "ERRC Action to Challenge Systemic Substandard Housing of Roma in Bulgaria." (NEXIS/ERRC) [Accessed 21 Apr. 2005]

European Union (EU). 16 May 2006. Commission of the European Communities. Bulgaria: May 2006 Monitoring Report. <http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/key_documents/pdf/2006/monitoring_report_bg_en.pdf> [Accessed 14 Aug. 2006]

Financial Times [London]. 12 July 2006. Kerin Hope. "An Increasingly Sensitive Issue – Roma: About 60 Per Cent of the Formerly Nomadic Roma Population is Out of Work." (Factiva)

Freedom House. 6 July 2005. "Bulgaria." Freedom in the World 2005. <http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2005&country=6704> [Accessed 11 Aug. 2006]

The Guardian [London]. 1 September 2005. "Unlawful Gypsy Site Demolished." (NEXIS)

International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF). 8 June 2006. "Bulgaria." Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2006 (Events of 2005). <http://www.ihf-hr.org/viewbinary/viewdocument.php?download=1&doc_id=6840> [Accessed 14 July 2006]

Reuters. 23 March 2006a. Michael Winfrey and Tsvetelia Ilieva. "Bride Fair Shows Lack of Options for Bulgarian Roma." (Factiva)
_____. 23 March 2006b. "Main Roma Populations in Eastern Europe." (Factiva)
_____. 27 May 2005. "Bulgarian Roma Wins Racial Suit Against State Body." (Factiva)

Hindustan Times. 13 June 2006. "Bulgaria: BGN 1.65 Million to be Allotted for Implementation of National Programme for Literacy, Training of Roma." (Factiva/US Fed News)
_____. 11 May 2006. "Bulgaria: BGN 10 Mln to be Allotted from Budget 2007 for National Programme for Improvement of Roma's Housing Conditions." (Factiva/US Fed News)

XE.com. 14 August 2006. "Universal Currency Converter." <http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi> [Accessed 14 Aug. 2006]

Xinhua News Agency. 4 July 2006. "Bulgaria Takes Over Chairmanship of Roma Inclusion Decade Initiative." (Factiva)

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral Sources, including: Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC), European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC).

Internet Sites, including: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), European Country of Origin Information Network (ECOI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Open Society Institute, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Sofia Echo, Sofia News Agency (Novinite.com).

Topics: Roma,