Europarlementariërs roepen Italië dringend op te stoppen met discriminatie van Roma (en)

The European Parliament asks the Italian authorities to refrain from collecting fingerprints from Roma people, including children, and to put an end to discriminatory policies, in a resolution adopted today. MEPs also say the integration of Roma people should be ensured at European level. The resolution was adopted with 336 votes in favour 220 against and 77 abstentions.

MEPs point out that Roma are one of the main targets of racism and discrimination, as shown by the recent incidents involving attacks and aggression against Roma in Italy and Hungary and further underlined by recent Eurobarometer surveys. 

The European Parliament a resolution proposed by PES, ALDE, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL, in a move following the measures tabled by the Italian government last week.

A motion from EPP-ED, aiming to postpone the vote until September to wait for explanations from the Italian governments, has been rejected by 316 votes against 296 and 14 abstentions.

MEPs urge Italian authorities to "refrain" from collecting fingerprints of Roma and from using those already collected as it would be a discriminatory act infringing the European Convention of Human Rights.

State of emergency

MEPs also voiced concern at the affirmation that a 12-month "state of emergency" could be justified by the presence of Romani camps, thus allowing extraordinary measures, in derogation of laws, to be taken. Members say this is "non adequate nor proportionate" to the case.

They consider that the best way to protect the rights of Roma children is to guarantee equal access to quality education, housing and healthcare through integration policies, and to protect them from exploitation.  They ask for the Commission and Member states to launch an EU Roma strategy for their inclusion and integration and recalls that Parliament, in a vote in January, urged Member states to solve the problem of slums and illegal camps . 

Parliament calls on the Commission to review the measures defined by the Italian government in order to check their compatibility with EU law.