Four children died last night in Rome: press statement by Amnesty International Italy
7 Feb 2011
Amnesty International Italy wishes to express its condolences to the family of Raul Mircea, Fernando, Patrizia and Sebastian, the four Roma children who died on the evening of 6 February in Rome in the fire that destroyed the makeshift shack they lived in the unauthorized settlement nearby via Appia.
 
Unfortunately yesterday's event is not the first fatal accident of this type to occur in Italy in a Roma camp. Amnesty International believes the country’s policies on the Roma and Sinti communities, which are often trapped in a vicious circle of discrimination and poverty, must be reviewed without delay.
 
In September 2010, Amnesty International wrote to the mayor of Rome Gianni Alemanno about the announcement of an eviction plan, in addition to the "Nomad Plan", of 200 squatter camps in Rome, and the alleged intention to keep the maximum number of Romani people in Rome below 6000, through forced evictions. On that occasion, Amnesty International noted that it is forbidden under international law to use eviction as a way of deterring the presence of foreigners in the territory.
 
Amnesty International awaits a response, which should describe in detail the measures taken by the authorities to ensure that any eviction carried out fully respects international standards.
 
Amnesty International today reiterated that a policy of forced evictions without adequate alternative housing cannot represent a response to the poverty and exclusion of many Roma people, whose dignity and human rights must above all be respected and who must be involved in any decision that affects them.
 
Amnesty International urges that the response to yesterday’s tragedy should not be new forced evictions, which would expose the people affected to further abuse, but instead ensure protection of the human rights of thousands of Roma children, women and men living in Rome and other Italian cities, including by means of policies to ensure the right to adequate housing and access to services.
 
End of press statement
 
Rome 7 February 2011
 
For further information, updates and interviews:
 
Amnesty International Italia – Press Office
Tel. 0039 (0) 6 4490224          0039 (0) 6 4490224      
cell. 0039 (0) 348-6974361      0039(0) 348-6974361      
 e-mail: press [at] amnesty [dot] it (press [at] amnesty [dot] it)
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