Problems of Roma were discussed in Uzhgorod

Today, in Uzhgorod City Council, there was a meeting of the Coordinating Council on Protection and Integration in the Ukrainian Society of the Roma National Minority with the participation of deputy head of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration Oleksandr Petik, the deputy mayor of Uzhgorod Oleksandr Bilak, the City Council deputies – Yuriy Mandich, Myroslav Horvat, Yevhen Prozor, the head of the Transcarpathian Regional Charitable Fund "Blago" Eleonora Kulchar, the chairman of the Society of Musical Culture of the Transcarpathian Gypsies "Lautari" Willi Pap and other Roma public activists, representatives of the Education Department of Uzhgorod City Council, the Patrol Police Department of Uzhgorod and Mukachevo.

Oleksandr Bilak told the audience about the incident that took place yesterday at the railway station when they found three Roma children who were begging and sniffing glue. In addition, he stressed that recently there have been many complaints about the behavior of the Roma people, residents of the Telman street wrote a collective appeal to the mayor on this issue. Therefore, the issue is urgent, needs to be resolved, but it should be stressed that this is not about any national intolerance or biased attitude, but rather about the problems of homelessness and neglect of children.

Oleksandr Petik asked the representatives of the patrol police, the National and Juvenile Police to join efforts in this area. Also, he appealed to Roma activists asking to take this issue with understanding, to report on such things, not to silence them, and to ensure that children go to school.

Myroslav Horvat said that he, as a deputy, as well as representatives of Roma NGOs were concerned about such situations, wanted to avoid tensions and conflicts in the city, so they would try to conduct more outreach among the Roma population.   

"When we come to an agreement on cooperation, we always talk about reciprocity, – Oleksandr Bilak addressed the Roma leaders. – If we talk about integration and inclusion, then these issues also automatically imply mutual responsibility. The city authorities are fulfilling their obligations, so I ask the representatives of the Roma NGOs to inform everyone that violation of the rules entails liability. We will be forced to apply a mechanism for suspending social benefits to those parents whose children will be detained like those yesterday. The drawn up reports, documents were sent to the Labor and Social Protection Office. And it does not matter, whether they are Uzhgorod children or from other regions. The reports will be drawn up and sent to the relevant authorities all the same."