Domestic Cases: Romania
10 August 2015
Access to Housing
Eforie Sud Eviction
On 27 September 2013, the local authorities left approximately 100 persons homeless, including 55 children, after demolishing their long-standing houses, ostensibly for lack of building permits. After four days of enduring rough weather conditions, the authorities relocated them in an abandoned school and a former dormitory. Those living in the abandoned school were again evicted on 17 July 2014. 34 of them were provided with accommodation in eight containers located at the edge of the city. The other 17 were not provided with any sort of alternative accommodation. The ERRC together with Romani Criss have supported the community to take the case before the national courts. The case illustrates Romania’s failure to comply with international human rights standards by providing security of tenure for Roma living in informal housing.
Pata Rât Eviction
On 17 December 2010, almost 300 people were forcibly evicted from their homes close to the city centre, and relocated in overcrowded and substandard housing close to the city’s waste dump, Pata Rât. As a result, housing conditions, access to work, education and healthcare have all been badly affected. Moreover, the Roma there face increased discrimination and stigma and are at risk from environmental health hazards. The ERRC has supported the community to establish an association and take their case before the national courts seeking access to appropriate integrated housing. The ERRC has already secured a ruling in from the Romanian National Council for Combating Discrimination finding that the municipality’s actions amounted to racial discrimination.
Implementation of ECtHR Judgment in Hădăreni
Almost ten years ago the European Court of Human Rights delivered its judgment in Moldovan and Others (no.2) v. Romania, concerning the aftermath of a 1993 anti-Roma pogrom in the village of Hădăreni. The Romanian Government has failed to implement the general measures that it undertook in order to provide redress and effective inclusion for the Roma community in Hădăreni. The ERRC, in partnership with Romani Criss, has provided legal support for 52 Roma from Hădăreni in bringing a case against the Government before the domestic courts. The ERRC has also engaged with the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe who is supervising the way the Romanian authorities are implementing the Hadareni ECtHR judgments.
