On International Roma Day, OSCE rights office says better census data needed to aid Roma integration

WARSAW, 8 April 2011 – On the occasion of International Roma Day, the head of the Contact Point on Roma and Sinti Issues of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), Andrzej Mirga, today called on OSCE States to make use of censuses as a way to improve data on Europe’s Roma.

“Good demographic data is an important prerequisite for more effective policies and programmes aimed at integrating Europe’s Roma populations,” Mirga said.

He stressed that without at least basic information on Roma populations, such as their numbers and places of residence, it is difficult to develop successful integration strategies. At the same time, better demographic data can also serve to empower Roma in their collective efforts to claim their rights as citizens. 

More than 20 of the OSCE’s 56 participating States are holding a census during the course of 2011. While some States, such as – for the first time – the United Kingdom, allow citizens to identify themselves as Roma in the census, this is not an option in all countries. Even where it is possible, many Roma are reluctant to identify themselves as such due to negative historical experiences or fear of discrimination.

“Every census is an excellent opportunity both for the authorities and the Roma themselves to obtain a more accurate picture of the size of this population and extent of the challenges they face,” Mirga added.
       
The Roma population in Europe continues to face discrimination and exclusion from mainstream society, as well as hate-motivated violence and other crimes.

Lack of reliable data has long been identified as one of the obstacles for policy design and monitoring the results of integration programmes. Better census data can help close this gap.

Mirga stressed the importance of putting safeguards in place to guarantee anonymity and prevent the misuse of collected data, and informing Roma about their right to freely choose and declare their ethnic identity. This is essential for overcoming the mistrust of many Roma stemming from past use of data collection for persecution and fear of discrimination, he said.