Roma report shows improvements for community, but issues remain

State bodies used EUR 15.5 million for Roma-related activities last year, considerably more than the EUR 8.8 million in 2021 and the EUR 8.6 million in 2020, according to the report drafted by relevant government ministries. The Roma community in Slovenia is estimated to number between 7,000 and 12,000.

The increase in funds was attributed to changes in methodology used to assess the funding needed, and additional funds made available to municipalities where Roma settlements are part of official records.

Meanwhile, poor school attendance remains a burning issue, according to the Education Ministry. Last year, the Education Inspectorate opened over 220 non-attendance procedures.

The ministry is trying to mitigate the situation by hiring Roma teaching assistants, the report says, adding that this had proved very successful, especially in kindergartens.

The Education Ministry has been advocating that Roma children start kindergarten at least two years before starting primary school. But in Slovenia, the childcare benefit is 20% higher for parents of children under four when the child is not in kindergarten, which discourages some parents from enrolling their children in kindergarten.

In terms of employment, the Labour Ministry said in the report that nearly 3,500 Roma were included in employment measures last year, which was 7.5% more than the year before. A few hundred were included in other similar programmes, the report says.

Nearly 270 became employed last year, while almost 90 were participating in public works and similar employment programmes.

Poor education remains the most significant hurdle in employment of the Roma, as well as poor work experience and low motivation to get a job, the Labour Ministry said in the report.

Meanwhile, social activation programmes for women have been assessed as very positive by the ministry. The programmes were funded by the EU and carried out in Novo Mesto, Črnomelj, Maribor, Lendava and Beltinci. They included over 330 women, of whom 120 got a job, started looking for a job or started a training programme.

The Council of the Roma Community, an umbrella organisation, believes that employment would require concrete solutions, above all in the southeast.

The council advises hiring young, educated Roma by public institutions that provide assistance to the Roma, as well as assistance to Roma entrepreneurs and an increase in including the Roma in public works programmes.

The Health Ministry meanwhile said that the Roma population remain reserved about using healthcare services. Many do not even have a primary care physician and turn to emergency wards when they need medical assistance. This frequently leads to conflicts with the staff, other patients and among the Roma.

Housing, above all illegal Roma settlements, remains an issue. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning said in the report that municipalities have the tools to include the settlements in their spatial plans.

Touching on security, the Interior Ministry said the police work had produced the wanted results, but issues remain. On the one hand, the community is disinterested in preventive activities, and on the other, there has been positive response to problem solving through multi-disciplinary teams and security councils.

The annual report was adopted by the government last week and has been sent to the National Assembly, which will take note of the document.