Recent media accounts & human
rights reports during 2009

"... the Roma were subject to pervasive social and economic discrimination; often lacked access to basic hygiene, medical care, and education; and were heavily dependent on humanitarian aid for survival."

They found that 99% of Kosovo Serb children, and 97.5% of Kosovo Albanian children attended school, but only 77% of minority children, including Roma, went to school. They reported that:

"Official and societal discrimination persisted against Kosovo Serb, Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities in employment, social services, language use, freedom of movement, the right to return, and other basic rights. ... During the year violence and other crimes directed at minorities and their property increased from 2007. Minority employment in public institutions continued to be low and was generally confined to lower levels of the government; members of minorities occupied 10.4 percent of government jobs despite a government target of more than 16 percent. ..."

"Roma were subject to pervasive social and economic discrimination; often lacked access to basic hygiene, medical care, and education; and were heavily dependent on humanitarian aid for survival. Although there were some successful efforts to resettle Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians in the homes they occupied prior to the 1999 conflict in Vushtrri/Vucitrn, security concerns remained." _1,2

"... many Roma live in 'socially excluded' enclaves marked by high levels of loansharking, unemployment, substandard housing and poor education. While more Roma children go to school now than in the past, it said they remain overrepresented in schools conceived for students with learning disabilities." ₃

"I've never been to Romania before and I am happy to be here. But I found out that there is a lot of discrimination against Gypsies in Eastern Europe, and that makes me very sad, especially because we believe in acceptance, Gypsies, homosexuals, people that are different. Everyone must be treated the same, don't forget that!"

Thousands of the fans among the estimated 60,000 present reacted with boos and jeers. Ionut Dinu, a 23-year-old concertgoer, said: "I jeered her because it seemed false what she was telling us. What business does she have telling us these things?"

"Gypsies" is a slightly derogatory term for the Roma people There are officially about 500,000 Roma in Romania. However, the actual number is probably much higher; many do not identify themselves because of fear. ₅