Eviction of Slovak Romanies racist - Deputy Prime Minister

The removal of Romanies from some Slovak towns is racially motivated, Slovak Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Human Rights and Minorities Dusan Caplovic told journalists today.

The buildings that had been inhabited by tens, mostly Romany, rent-defaulters were sold by the southern Slovak town of Nove Zamky in the past days.

The new owner is trying to evict them, the daily Sme writes today.

Other town halls want to resolve the problem with Romanies in the same way, it adds.

“Some methods of eviction remind me of the sad years 1938-1945 in southern Slovakia, occupied by Hungary under the Horthy regime, and the first, war-time Slovakia,” Caplovic said in a press release.

The new owner of the houses in Nove Zamky has offered housing in the neighbouring Levice district to the Romanies. However, they are opposed to the solution as they are to live in devastated houses without water, electricity and toilets.

According to the media, the occupants of the sold houses who had no debts have received alternative flats in the town.

Caplovic says the Romanies were immediately evicted without having received the notice under the compulsory three-month deadline.

“This state of affairs was caused by the failure of the town hall in the sphere of comprehensive solution to the issue of Romanies,” Caplovic said.

In 2004, Nove Zamky had received half a million crowns from the government commissioner for Romany communities for projects for Romanies such as the construction of low-standard flats.

However, the town hall did not secure the construction or any other projects, Caplovic said.

Sme writes that town halls have evicted Romanies also from the towns of Komarno, Kezmarok and Tornala.