Plight of Roma in EU 'one of the greatest human rights scandals on the continent'

Michael O’Flaherty, the commissioner for human rights at the Council of Europe, can quickly list many signs that show just how much racism is still a central part of life in Europe.

“We had that dreadful attack on the synagogue in Manchester in the UK. We have attacks on Muslims. We have attacks on people because of the colour of their skin. And we have attacks on Roma", the 66-year-old Irish lawyer reeled off in an interview with EUobserver.

This week, on 1 October, O’Flaherty published a book called The Unheard 12 Million covering the ongoing discrimination against Roma in Europe. 

One day later, the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) published a report on the situation of Roma in Europe — concluding that no EU member state will hit the 2030 targets set out in the EU Roma strategic framework.

Talking to EUobserver, O’Flaherty, who is also the former director of the FRA, called the situation of Roma “one of the greatest human rights scandals on the continent”. With his new book, he hopes to raise awareness of a scenario happening in the midst of European societies.

“That's the largest minority on the continent, and its situation is deplorable in terms of lack of respect for their human dignity, human well-being, being targeted for hate, exclusion, and shoved to the edges of our societies," he said.

“What that looks like in practice is, for example, people living in the worst slums I've ever seen on the face of the planet. It's quite dreadful, and it's hiding in plain sight. We just go on about our business.”

The Council of Europe is a non-EU body, headquartered in Strasbourg, covering 46 countries, including all 27 EU member states.

However, O’Flaherty complimented the EU for its framework on Roma and the approach to work with Roma and not simply for them.

Yet the data shows that not much has changed since the EU framework was agreed on. One of the reasons for that, he cited, is the Covid crisis — and its enormous impact, especially on marginalised groups like Roma.

A spokesperson for the EU Commission, in response, said the ‘Union of Equality’ was a priority for the commission and they would keep on working for Roma inclusion at national and EU level, but admitted: “Many Roma continue to face deep-rooted inequalities and anti-gypsyism".

For his part, O’Flaherty simply points out that racism is a main driver of Roma discrimination.

“We have to call out the racism in our societies. We are burdened by a remarkable degree of racism in Europe. It manifests itself in different ways. We have to, day by day, week by week, recognise that combating racism is a major challenge for our continent”, O’Flaherty said.

He pointed to three explanations why the general human rights situation in Europe was in a problematic state: the war in Ukraine, the willingness of political leaders to sell out human rights for their own political objectives, and the influence of populist scapegoating.

“When certain politicians inflate fears and identify certain groups as the problem in our society, for personal or party gain... and this has been gaining force, as we see, across multiple countries in a way... that's very frightening”, he explained.

A specific threat fuelling the impact of populism is disinformation, according to O’Flaherty.

AI 'carelessly spreading lies'

“Increasingly in the last year, we see the role of generative AI, which is not deliberately spreading lies, but is carelessly spreading lies”, he explained.

“The EU has the Digital Services Act. It has the AI Act. These are two decent pieces of legislation. They're good. They need to be enforced. And that's where I would watch closely what the EU is doing to make sure that these instruments are promoted and enforced.”

He added: “And [it's important] that we challenge the disinformation about regulation. There's this myth out there that it's these instruments, and that type of regulation, that stifles innovation in Europe. There's no evidence for that.”

Looking to the future, O’Flaherty is hopeful that a better time for human rights in Europe will come, but stressed: “I think we have to navigate a very difficult period.

"And we're not remotely through it yet. There are very strong forces internationally which are not compatible with a commitment to international human rights standards. There's a lack of awareness of what we're losing if we don't stand up and defend human rights," he said.

“Time and time again, when the general population is surveyed on attitudes, we find a commitment to decency, which is a basis for my hope. And there's no plan B," he added.

"And so, I believe human decency will win out."

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