The international and national frameworks establish a legal obligation for the authorities to assess and identify solutions aiming to facilitate social inclusion for those concerned in different fields (education, health care, employment, housing/shelter), hence to provide alternative shelter in case of evictions. In addition to the tally of forced evictions in 2016, many incidents of hate speech and cases of discrimination against Romani people were reported. This confirmed the need for a significant policy response to address the plight of a stigmatised and deeply impoverished population to ensure fundamental rights are respected and that Roma have equal access to basic services.  

More than 10,000 Roma were subjected to forced evictions by French authorities in 2016, with over 6 in 10 Romani families experiencing forced eviction.

The annual report released by the European Roma Rights Centre and the Ligue des droits de L’Homme shows that more than half of the recorded evictions took place without a court decision and in most cases, no adequate alternative accommodation was offered to those made homeless.

Most of the 10,119 Roma evicted in 2016 were evicted during the winter months in the fourth quarter of the year, which saw a 17% increase in numbers of people made homeless compared to the previous quarter. The report shows that many Roma were evicted multiple times in 2016. This unsustainable practice only worsens deep poverty and neglects the underlying housing problems.

France’s policy of ethnically targeted evictions creates cycles of repeat evictions and forced removals. It is also a significant squandering of financial and administrative resources. It is not only a morally bankrupt strategy, but one that is not in the best interests of tax-payers whose contributions would could far better be deployed to invest in social assessments and sustainable solutions for housing.

In addition to forced evictions, 2016 saw many incidents of hate speech and cases of discrimination against Romani people. This further confirms the need for a significant policy response to address the plight of a stigmatised and deeply impoverished population.

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