Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights

Racism and discrimination against Roma and Sinti - sometimes called "anti-gypsyism" - has been on the rise in the last decade and a half. The deep-rooted types of racism that emerged after the collapse of the communist bloc persist, while new forms of hostility, rejection and hate speech continue to be expressed across the OSCE region.

As a result of this discrimination, many Roma and Sinti communities have developed strong group-centred identities that can lead, in certain countries, to a sense of marginalization and alienation. On the other hand, groups that are linguistically and culturally assimilated to the majority population can find themselves defined as Gypsies for purely racial reasons.

Discrimination in the media

Such attitudes and racial stereotyping are reflected in the mass media, where the majority of news items and headlines about Roma and Sinti are linked with criminality and "otherness". In contrast, Roma and Sinti victims of racist attacks receive virtually no media coverage.

Police discrimination

Discrimination at the hands of the police is another area of concern, particularly since the police should protect Roma and Sinti communities and ensure their equal treatment under the law. Roma and Sinti representatives continue to report frequent instances of police brutality, a lack of police intervention to protect Roma and Sinti victims, and continued mistrust between the police and their communities.

The ODIHR has organized workshops in several countries in Eastern Europe for high-level law enforcement officials and Roma and Sinti NGOs to support the respective states in undertaking an assessment of their policing practices in relation to international human rights standards, focusing on the practices of law enforcement bodies towards Roma and Sinti communities.

By promoting consultation with Roma and Sinti communities, this initiative aims to foster institutional change within the police forces in these countries and to assist in transforming the police into a provider of protection and prevention services.