Budapest, Lisbon, Strasbourg, 7 May 2010:On 23 April 2010, the
European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) registered a collective complaint
filed by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) against Portugal concerning
the housing situation of Roma in the country. On the basis of field research,
documentation and continuous monitoring in Portugal over the last five
years, the ERRC submitted that Portugal has failed to meet its human rights
obligations under the Revised European Social Charter (RESC).
The widespread housing-related injustices occurring in Portugal include
problems of access to social housing, substandard quality of housing, lack
of access to basic utilities, residential segregation of Romani communities
and other systemic violations of the right to housing; these are compounded
by a lack of practical access to effective legal remedies for redress.
The ERRC asserts that the sum of housing-related injustices in Portugal
constitutes a violation of Articles 16 (the right of the family to social,
legal and economic protection) and 31 (right to housing). Furthermore,
the living conditions of Roma in Portugal demonstrate their social exclusion,
in violation of Article 30 (right to protection against poverty and social
exclusion). Each of these violations may be read alone or in conjunction
with Article E (non-discrimination) of the RESC.
Looking forward to the ECSRs consideration and decision in respect of
this collective complaint, the ERRC hopes that the Portuguese Government
will be held to account for the substandard housing situation of Roma and
urged to undertake measures to improve housing conditions and combat social
exclusion of Roma, in accordance with the RESC.
The full text of the collective complaint, No. 61/2010 European Roma Rights
Centre v Portugal, is available
here.
For further information, contact:
Lydia Gall, ERRC Lawyer, lydia.gall@errc.org, +36.30.500.2242
Sinan Gokcen, ERRC Media and Communications Officer, sinan.gokcen@errc.org,
+36.30.500.1324.
Budapest, Lisbon, Strasbourg, 7 May 2010:On 23 April 2010, the
European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) registered a collective complaint
filed by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) against Portugal concerning
the housing situation of Roma in the country. On the basis of field research,
documentation and continuous monitoring in Portugal over the last five
years, the ERRC submitted that Portugal has failed to meet its human rights
obligations under the Revised European Social Charter (RESC).
The widespread housing-related injustices occurring in Portugal include
problems of access to social housing, substandard quality of housing, lack
of access to basic utilities, residential segregation of Romani communities
and other systemic violations of the right to housing; these are compounded
by a lack of practical access to effective legal remedies for redress.
The ERRC asserts that the sum of housing-related injustices in Portugal
constitutes a violation of Articles 16 (the right of the family to social,
legal and economic protection) and 31 (right to housing). Furthermore,
the living conditions of Roma in Portugal demonstrate their social exclusion,
in violation of Article 30 (right to protection against poverty and social
exclusion). Each of these violations may be read alone or in conjunction
with Article E (non-discrimination) of the RESC.
Looking forward to the ECSRs consideration and decision in respect of
this collective complaint, the ERRC hopes that the Portuguese Government
will be held to account for the substandard housing situation of Roma and
urged to undertake measures to improve housing conditions and combat social
exclusion of Roma, in accordance with the RESC.
The full text of the collective complaint, No. 61/2010 European Roma Rights
Centre v Portugal, is available here.
For further information, contact:
Lydia Gall, ERRC Lawyer, lydia.gall@errc.org, +36.30.500.2242
Sinan Gokcen, ERRC Media and Communications Officer, sinan.gokcen@errc.org,
+36.30.500.1324.
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