On average, the quality of life in the Czech Republic is improving, as confirmed by experts and statistics. Nonetheless a large part of the population appears not to benefit from it. Indeed, the social situation of the Roma minority and their relationship with the majority of the population is off-track. The so-called “excluded areas” where this minority lives registered a dramatic increase – from 300 to 600 over the past ten years. “Approximately one hundred thousand Roma live in these isolated communities, often in unacceptable conditions. This trend is growing worse despite the adoption of measures since the early 1990s in the areas of education, employment and social assistance, aimed at improving their situation”, states a recent release published by the Iustitia et Pax Commission of the Czech Bishops’ Conference.
Facts and surveys. According to official figures 13 200 people are members of the Roma minority in Bohemia and Moravia. However, estimates by the European Centre for the Rights of the Roma show that figures range between 250 and 300 thousand people. This social bracket is severely affected by exclusion and marginalization, with a set of negative consequences such as:
low level of education, high unemployment and crime rates, not to mention widespread anti-Roma sentiments across the Country
where – according to several surveys – 80 to 90% of inhabitants considers this ethnic minority “unwilling to adapt” and “lazy”, which makes the Roma question one of the most serious problems of contemporary society in the Czech Republic.
A failed “strategy”. In 2011 Prague’s government had adopted a strategy to combat social exclusion for the period 2011-2015, whose implementation was expected to bring about a positive change. However, owing to a set of different factors, ranging from the economic downturn to surging discrimination against the Roma by the majority population, notably in certain regions, it appears that the strategy has failed to reach several of its goals. “The number of sites marked by social, cultural and economic exclusion of the Roma has doubled despite limited success of educational and social programs”, said the president of the Iiustitia et Pax Council Monsignor Vaclav Maly, who underlined that the
“dimension and dynamics of the marginalization process in this field requires a more coordinated, complex approach” leading to a solution this situation.
Action plan in seven sectors. The government has recently adopted a plan for “mutually connected” interventions linked to the 2016-2020 Strategy for the Fight against Social Exclusion in the following sectors: security, housing, prevention of family indebtedness, support to families, education, employment and healthcare. The Strategy, starts with the proposal to move about 6 thousand families currently living in foster-homes into social housing units in the next four years. However, a more detailed action plan will require a number of coordinated steps at all levels of government, as well as a set of legislative changes. The Iustitia et Pax Council has “welcomed” these policy measures, but at the same time it stressed that these Government initiatives are not enough for a real improvement of the situation:
“There is need for strong cooperation among all civil society players, notably of the Church”,
the Bishops’ Conference wrote in a release: “it is necessary to show that Christian traditions are thriving and we must realize that the art of helping whoever is in need is a major commitment not only for the Christian population but also for all those who have at heart the preservation of European values.”
Many desperate situations. For Jan Oulik from Caritas Czech Republic, the ethnic origin of marginalized groups makes no difference. “We offer a set of services aimed at the integration of individuals and communities at risk of social exclusion, in particular social prevention measures in problematic realms such as youth structures (64), implementation of programs on the ground (32), social rehabilitation (31), specialized counselling centres (69)”. Oulik told SIR: “All of these services are aimed at helping children and families in need from the social perspective (including many Roma families) to improve their situation, which in many cases is desperate, finding the best ways to ameliorate their quality of life and helping them break away from the spiral of poverty.” Oulik pointed out that the solidarity projects significantly contributed to “decreasing social tensions and related phenomena, delivering great benefits to society as a whole.”
