OHCHR, Statement of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Rita Izsák, following her official visit
to Ukraine – 7 to 14 April 2014, 16 April 2014
"I was made aware of ongoing concerns with regard to the situation of Roma communities in Ukraine and
visited a Roma settlement. Economic and social marginalization of Roma as well as problems with
registration and identity documents were widely reported. The Government’s ‘Strategy on the Protection
and Integration of Roma in Ukraine until 2020’ as well as the ‘National Action Plan on Roma Inclusion’ are
welcomed, however Roma representatives expressed their concern over the lack of their participation in
the formulation and monitoring of this strategy and stated that policies are often poorly implemented in
practice. I consider that more robust responses from the Government are required, including an
institutional, policy and programme framework, created with the full participation of Roma, that is
adequately financed and politically supported to tackle the long-term marginalization that many Roma
experience."
Freedom of movement
ADC Memorial, Mayor of Przemyśl Wojciech Bakun restricted to accept Roma people at the help center,
30 June 2022
“On June 26, volunteers helping refugees from Ukraine in the Polish city of Przemysl, bordering Ukraine,
told ADC Memorial that due to interruptions in the schedule of departure and arrival of trains, a large
group of refugees from Ukraine, including about 100 Roma, had accumulated at the railway station. The
mayor of the city, Wojciech Bakun, who was personally present at the station on Saturday night,
demanded from the volunteers that they never take the Roma to the Tesco help center, even for an
overnight stay. Wojciech won the 2018 mayoral election as a candidate for the right-wing populist party
Kukiz’15. Here is what one of the volunteers helping refugees at the Tesco center said: “The mayor was
on duty at the station all night and made sure that the Roma were not taken to our Tesco help center,
although we had more than 400 free beds. [They were not allowed] even to sleep for a couple of hours
[there]. At the same time, I have personally witnessed that about 50 Roma children with their parents had
to sleep on the platform and on the bare asphalt around the station. [Bakun] even sent away the taxis
that we wanted to deliver refugees to the center and forbade our volunteer to help them. After that, he
came to our center, looked for me, threatened to arrest and deport me, although the only thing I did was
put five Roma in a volunteer’s car so that he would take them to [our center] for the night. Some of the
families have already been at our center, one child has heart problems.” Recently, the BBC has reported
that refugees from Ukraine are received with warm sympathy in Przemysl, and Wojciech Bakun was proud
that his city of only 60,000 people is helping Ukraine. However, according to the volunteers, this is not the
first time Bakun has banned helping Roma refugees in the Tesco center and has tried to expel them from
the city.”
USDOS – US Department of State, 2021 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Ukraine, 12 April 2022
“Romani activists expressed concern that some Roma could not afford to flee conflict areas, while others
had no choice but to leave their homes.”
US DOS, Report on the human rights situation in Ukraine (1 August 2021 - 31 January 2022), March 2022
"In self-proclaimed ‘republics’, OHCHR continued to observe a lack of media coverage critical of or
different from the official position of the ‘republics’ on various matters. […] OHCHR is concerned about
the complete lack of accountability for past attacks on Roma settlements, including those in the village of
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