Roma in Italy:

In Italy, there are no accurate figures on the current number of Roma, Sinti, and Caminanti (RSC), even if the estimation provided by the EC indicates the number of 110,000 to 180,000 individuals, which represents around 0.23 to 0.25 percent of the total population. The lack of knowledge about RSC Communities, accompanied by a high level of prejudice and discrimination, has exacerbated the idea that this population would be nomadic, hostile to sedentary life, and, therefore in need of specific and temporary housing solutions. Still, today, even if Opera Nomadi (the historical Italian association helping Roma and Sinti) estimates that around 60-80 percent of the RSC in Italy live in houses, these camps continue to be designed and built by local authorities. Around 30,000 to 40,000 of RSC live in “nomad camps”, in condition of severe housing precariousness and social marginalisation.

Key problems:

The human rights of thousands of Roma continue to be violated, particularly in the area of housing, as segregated camps, discrimination in access to social housing and forced evictions remain a daily reality for the Roma living in camps in Italy. The living conditions in camps are often inadequate, failing to meet international human rights standards and even the national regulations on housing. Italy continues to evict Roma from informal camps, without the necessary safeguards such as consultation, adequate notice, and others, in violation of the country’s international and regional human rights obligations and in contrast to other forms of evictions carried out in Italy. When evicted, Roma families are often not provided with adequate housing alternatives, and they are instead often made homeless or placed into ethnically segregated camps or temporary accommodation. Roma are also sometimes forcibly evicted from authorized camps when authorities decide to close them down, even if authorities do not offer inhabitants adequate alternatives.

Italian National Equality, Inclusion and Participation Strategy of Roma and Sinti 2021-2030 (Presidency of the Council of Ministers and National Office against Racial Discrimination – UNAR, in Italian)

RCM coordinator:

RCM coalition members:

RCM 2 (2021-2025) reports:

Roma Civil Monitor (2022) Civil society monitoring report on the quality of the national strategic framework for Roma equality, inclusion, and participation in Italy. ENGLISH – ITALIAN

Poster presenting main findings of the report (2022):

RCM 1 (2017-2020) reports:

Roma Civil Monitor (2017) Civil society monitoring report on implementation of the national Roma integration strategies in Italy: Focusing on structural and horizontal preconditions for successful implementation of the strategy. ENGLISH – ITALIAN

Roma Civil Monitor (2018) Civil society monitoring report on implementation of the national Roma integration strategy in Italy: Assessing the progress in four key policy areas of the strategy ENGLISH – ITALIAN

Roma Civil Monitor (2020) Civil society monitoring report on implementation of the national Roma integration strategy in Italy: Identifying blind spots in Roma inclusion policy  ENGLISH – ITALIAN

Civil Society Monitoring Report on the Implementation of the National Roma Integration Strategy and Decade Action Plan in 2012 in Italy – ENGLISH

Roma Civil Monitor 2017-2020 country fiche: Italy

Decade of Roma Inclusion (2005-2015) report:

Decade of Roma Inclusions (2014) Civil Society Monitoring Report on the Implementation of the National Roma Integration Strategy in 2012 and 2013 in Italy. ENGLISH