Doc. 10637

5 July 2005

Forced evictions of Roma in Greece

Written question No 474 to the Committee of Ministers

presented by Mr Cilevičs

      In a decision made public on 8 June 2005, the European Committee of Social Rights held that the Greece's policies with respect to housing and accommodation of Roma infringe Article 16 of the European Social Charter due to, in particular, the systemic eviction of Roma from sites or dwellings unlawfully occupied by them.

      One of the most recent evictions has taken place in Patras where a number of settlements have been destroyed and a notice of eviction of 21 other Roma families has been issued by the authorities while prosecution for illegal settlement have been initiated with respect to 16 Roma families. Moreover, there were three attacks against the Roma settlement in the past few days, two with flares and one with a "Molotov cocktail".

      On 21 June 2005, a number of NGOs, including The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE), the Coordinated Organisations and Communities for Roma Human Rights in Greece (SOKADRE), European Roma Information Centre (ERIO), European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM), International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), Minority Rights Group International (MRGI) and World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) appealed to the Prime Minister of Greece Mr Kostas Karamanlis expressing their grave concerns of the systematic violations of the right to adequate housing and the racist and discriminatory treatment of the Roma of Patras.

      Mr Cilevičs,

      To ask the Committee of Ministers,

      Is the Committee of Ministers intending to take any action concerning these evictions which violate fundamental human rights and against the mounting antigypsyism which accompanies these evictions?

      In the Committee of Ministers' view, which Council of Europe bodies should be employed to combat this serious problem?

Signed ¹:

CILEVIČS, Boriss, Latvia, SOC

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group