Roma

Migration to Europe

Anthropologists suggest that the nomadic lifestyle of the Roma developed as a response to constant fighting, pushing them westward. Originally refugees from India, the Roma may have once thought they would return to their homeland. They fled during a war at the start of the 11th century in which the Muslim general Mahmud of Ghazni attempted to push Islam eastward into India, which was then mainly Hindu territory. Refugees often remain ready to return to their point of origin for many years, once they have been pushed out of their native lands. Whatever the reason, instead of returning, Roma were either kept in slavery in what is today Romania or moved on to the rest of Europe, reaching every northern and western country by about 1500.

Over time, as a result of having interacted with various European populations and being fragmented into widely separated groups, Roma emerged as a collection of distinct ethnic groups within a larger whole. Consequently, the so-called Roma problem (general problems of the minority in Europe, usually connected to housing problems, unemployment, and low education levels) is a serious challenge facing European countries. The Roma minority is seen as the victims of prejudice and discrimination, being the most disadvantaged social group in all of these countries. Members of the Roma minority were the first to lose their jobs: They had lower education levels, lived in economically disadvantaged regions of countries, and were discriminated against by the non-Roma population. Social insecurity, growing poverty, dependence on social assistance, extremely high unemployment rates, exploitation in the Black economy, discrimination in education, and housing problems are factors seen in every country in the region and make the social integration of Roma difficult.

Because Roma in Europe are a minority that extends beyond the boundaries and responsibilities of any single country, a common practice for dealing with the “Romani problem” would be a positive step. Especially since the European Union's enlargement, it has become obvious that Roma are neither a small population, nor are they facing the usual minority problems. Although the actual size of the Roma population in Europe is unknown, it is estimated to include as many as 10 million people. Estimates made by eleven European countries individually result in totals between 2.7 and 5.6 million. However, the Roma population in Europe has grown considerably since the accession of new EU member countries in May 2004, when the European Roma minority was estimated to have grown by an additional 1.5 million, thereby representing the biggest ethnic minority in the EU.

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