Advancing Roma Rights in Europe

2026-07-22

Objectives - Increase Romani people’s access to justice. - Empower Romani victims of discrimination to achieve precedent-setting outcomes that promote Roma inclusion and respect for the EU Framework. Activities - Identifying specific issues and litigants and preparing complaints. - Submit formal complaints to bodies, including courts, equality bodies and ombudspersons’ offices. - Steward the complaints through the process. - Engaging in advocacy and communication activities designed to achieve the same outcomes as the public interest work but without having to wait until the end of the complaints process, or to ensure implementation of successful outcomes of complaints. Type and number of persons benefiting from the project We anticipate that 80 named complainants will directly benefit from the project. These will be Roma and other targets of anti-Gypsyism who have been victims of discrimination in the areas of housing, police misconduct, or children’s rights and whose interests will be represented in the course of the project in formal legal or other complaints procedures. In addition to the direct beneficiaries, the aim of interest representation is to secure findings that benefit Roma more generally. Expected results Formal complaints will be set in motion that aim to impact on the behaviour of duty bearers, be they law enforcement, local authorities, school principals, child care professionals or others to desist from discriminatory practices. Type and number of deliverables to be produced The main deliverable will be 15 complaints, on behalf of approximately 80 (eighty) individuals, as well as on behalf of at least two NGOs acting as complainants in their own names. The deliverables include: an evidence base compiled for each case; written complaints lodged; further written and oral submissions in ongoing cases; advocacy outputs such as letters to and meetings with duty bearers; communications outputs including social media posts and press releases.

Belgium

2026-02-01