Czech agency against Romany ghettoes to open in March

22 October 2012

2 minute read

The new Czech agency against social exclusion that is to help improve the situation of Romanies living in "ghettos" will start functioning in March, agency director Marek Podlaha told journalists today.

The agency will send 15 employees to six selected places in Bohemia and six in Moravia.

According to an expert analysis, there are more than 300 houses and localities for poor people that are mainly populated by Romanies. According to estimates, up to 80,000 Romanies live in these localities.

A majority of adult residents in these areas are jobless, the families are dependent on social benefits and their children are often sent to special schools for pupils with learning difficulties.

"I think that we have finally proceeded from words to deeds," Minister for minorities and human rights Dzamila Stehlikova (junior governing Green Party, SZ) said today at the press conference on the occasion of the launch of the agency.

She said that if the agency failed to start working the Czech Republic could have lost the chance to obtain a considerable part of money for the solution to Romany problems from European funds.

The government pledged to establish the agency against the exclusion in its policy statement.

Podlaha said that the agency intended to work to radically change the situation, improve Romanies’ living standards and prevent the exclusion of the people living in "ghettos" from repeating.

He said the first task will be to analyse the situation in selected localities. The agency employees want to find out what non-governmental organisations function in the vicinity of ghettos and get acquainted with the major problems Romanies face, such as usury, prostitution, drugs or gambling, Stehlikova said.

The first results are to be known in April and the final reports will be ready in six months, Stehlikova said, adding that the first six months would be of key importance for the agency.

The first two years will show whether the agency will be a success, and if so, its activities will be expanded to include all Czech regions.
At present, the agency is one of the Government Office’s departments but in the future it could be operated by a non-profit organisation or a private company, Stehlikova said.