BackThe Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Cyprus, presents her ex-officio position on the living conditions of the Roma community in Cyprus as well as an English summary of the report.
The aim was to record the real daily life of the Roma community in Cyprus, the challenges it has to face, the obstacles it has to overcome, but also the needs it has to meet, in order to reach adequate standard of living.
For the purpose of drafting this position, the views and opinions of the competent authorities were obtained (specifically the Social Welfare Services, the Ministry of Education, the Turkish Cypriot Property Management Service), as well as of the views of the non-governmental organization CypROM.
An on-site visit was also made to areas where Roma live, while the relevant legal framework was studied.
The main issues, which the Commissioner examined, are those of housing conditions, education, employment opportunities and access to health and welfare services – which were considered inter-related and interdependent factors for the purpose of ensuring decent living conditions.
As the Commissioner noted, without th basic education, and the consequent knowledge of the Greek language, the chances of Roma people to access to the labour market are negligible, while without the possibility of employment, their economic dependence on the state is continued. At the same time, it was note that the housing of Roma in unsuitable premises/houses, in conjunction with difficulties in accessing adequate health services, exacerbate social marginalization and widen the gap between Roma and the rest of the society.
For more information please find the ex-officio report (only available in Greek) and an English summary report further down below.
Source: Office of the Commissioner for Administration and the Protection of Human Rights (Ombudsman), Cyprus
