The informal Roma settlements can constitute a “home” under the European Convention on Human Rights (Photo: UNICEF))
Concerns over the housing rights of Roma communities in Greece have reached the European Court of Human Rights after the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner intervened in a case involving the risk of eviction and homelessness.
According to a press statement, in written observations submitted to the court, Michael O’Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, has said the housing conditions in Greece’s informal Roma settlements reflect insufficient efforts by public authorities to provide long-term solutions. He also noted that ‘antigypsyism’ within the Greek society continues to prevent Roma communities from fully exercising their human rights.
Michael O’Flaherty
O’Flaherty says that the informal Roma settlements can constitute a “home” under the European Convention on Human Rights. Evicting residents without providing alternative accommodation could disproportionately interfere with their right to respect for their home, particularly given the vulnerability of the communities involved, says the statement.
According to the submission, eviction or the risk of eviction may also affect the enjoyment of other interconnected rights, including access to essential public services.
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The intervention relates to the case Nikoleta Zereliga and Others v. Greece, brought by five Greek citizens of Roma origin. The applicants allege violations of their rights to a fair trial, respect for private and family life, and protection against discrimination after an administrative protocol sought to evict them from an informal settlement where they have lived for around 25 years, placing them at risk of homelessness.
The European Court of Human Rights will consider the Commissioner’s observations as part of its examination of the case.
