CoE Commissioner for Human Rights: Bulgarian Authorities Should Prevent Roma's Forced Evictions
NW 14:28:01 03-11-2020
DD1426NW.110
110 POLITICS - COUNCIL OF EUROPE - BULGARIA - ROMA
CoE Commissioner for Human Rights:
Bulgarian Authorities Should Prevent
Roma's Forced Evictions
Brussels/Strasbourg, November 3 (BTA Correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - The Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, Tuesday published her submission to the CoE Committee of Ministers in the context of the supervision of the execution of a European Court of Human Rights judgment related to Roma's treatment in Bulgaria. According to Mijatovic, the Bulgarian authorities should prevent forced evictions, tackle the stigmatisation and marginalisation of Roma and improve their access to adequate housing, including social housing.
The case of Yordanova and Others v. Bulgaria of April 24, 2012 concerns the planned eviction of Roma people from an informal settlement in Sofia in violation of Article 8 (right to private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Commissioner Mijatovic stresses that in addition to seriously infringing the right to adequate housing, forced evictions may in fact lead to violations of a wide spectrum of human rights, meaning that it is essential to prevent them. She points out that countries have an obligation to limit the risk of human rights violations related to evictions and to ensure that the principles of proportionality and non-discrimination are respected in any eviction process.
She also considers that the problem of evictions of Roma in Bulgaria can only be effectively addressed in the context of a broader effort to tackle the widespread prejudice and institutional racism against Roma, and through structural changes in the area of housing rights. In this connection, she reiterates her concerns about the numerous obstacles to Roma accessing social housing, including public opposition at local level, which has led some municipalities to cancel construction projects.
According to the Commissioner, the authorities have to move away from punitive approaches and start addressing the housing situation of Roma on the basis of the relevant international human rights standards. She details steps that she believes should be taken to prevent forced evictions in light of these standards.
Commissioner Mijatovic bases her observations on her report on Bulgaria published in March 2020 and on her ongoing work to promote respect for the human rights of Roma across the CoE member states. NV/DS
//
DD1426NW.110
110 POLITICS - COUNCIL OF EUROPE - BULGARIA - ROMA
CoE Commissioner for Human Rights:
Bulgarian Authorities Should Prevent
Roma's Forced Evictions
Brussels/Strasbourg, November 3 (BTA Correspondent Nikolay Jeliazkov) - The Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, Tuesday published her submission to the CoE Committee of Ministers in the context of the supervision of the execution of a European Court of Human Rights judgment related to Roma's treatment in Bulgaria. According to Mijatovic, the Bulgarian authorities should prevent forced evictions, tackle the stigmatisation and marginalisation of Roma and improve their access to adequate housing, including social housing.
The case of Yordanova and Others v. Bulgaria of April 24, 2012 concerns the planned eviction of Roma people from an informal settlement in Sofia in violation of Article 8 (right to private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Commissioner Mijatovic stresses that in addition to seriously infringing the right to adequate housing, forced evictions may in fact lead to violations of a wide spectrum of human rights, meaning that it is essential to prevent them. She points out that countries have an obligation to limit the risk of human rights violations related to evictions and to ensure that the principles of proportionality and non-discrimination are respected in any eviction process.
She also considers that the problem of evictions of Roma in Bulgaria can only be effectively addressed in the context of a broader effort to tackle the widespread prejudice and institutional racism against Roma, and through structural changes in the area of housing rights. In this connection, she reiterates her concerns about the numerous obstacles to Roma accessing social housing, including public opposition at local level, which has led some municipalities to cancel construction projects.
According to the Commissioner, the authorities have to move away from punitive approaches and start addressing the housing situation of Roma on the basis of the relevant international human rights standards. She details steps that she believes should be taken to prevent forced evictions in light of these standards.
Commissioner Mijatovic bases her observations on her report on Bulgaria published in March 2020 and on her ongoing work to promote respect for the human rights of Roma across the CoE member states. NV/DS
//
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