Roma neighbourhood enclosed by walls

Alert DateJuly 13, 2010 Country: Portugal Address: Beja General Type: Discrimination Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-roma/zinghanophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Roma & Travelers Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Housing
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin N/A
Victims Gender N/A
Victims Age N/A
Victims Number N/A
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin N/A
Perpetrator Gender N/A
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number N/A
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

Four years after having been re-housed in a new neighbourhood on the outskirts of Beja, a small Portuguese southern city, 50 roma families that used to live in barracks were in the news again after the segregation they are subjected to by the municipality was denounced. It appears that the sudden apprehension of Portuguese media and other organizations with the case of this population enclosed between walls came only after the collective complaint presented to the European Committee of Social Rights by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC). According to different sources that range from media to NGO, and includes the Catholic Church, this community experiences, among other forms of prejudice and integration problems, from the fact that the neighbourhood, already distant from the city centre, is enclosed by a concrete wall that reinforces their isolation.

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