International Roma Day 2025
On 8 April 2025, International Roma Day, we celebrate the resilience, heritage, and contributions of Roma communities across Europe. At the same time, we must confront the ongoing reality of structural and institutional racism that continues to shape their everyday lives.
Roma communities face deep-rooted inequalities in housing, education, employment, healthcare, and policing. This discrimination is not incidental, it is systemic, embedded in legal frameworks, public policies, and institutional practices across Europe.
To spotlight these challenges, MPG highlights 10 key ways structural racism affects Roma communities, calling attention to persistent gaps in justice, access, and representation. These realities underscore the urgent need for systemic change and meaningful policy action.
Turning Policy into Practice
To move beyond symbolic recognition, MPG’s Policy Brief, Time to Time to Talk about and Tackle Structural and Institutional Racism in the EU, outlines clear steps policymakers must take, especially in the context of Roma inclusion:
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Establish a legal framework that explicitly addresses structural racism and recognises anti-Roma discrimination.
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Develop comprehensive national strategies that go beyond surface-level inclusion and tackle the root causes of exclusion.
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Collect and use disaggregated equality data to inform more effective and accountable policies.
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End racial profiling in policing and ensure transparency and fairness in law enforcement.
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Invest in public awareness and restorative justice, acknowledging the long history of antigypsyism and its lasting impacts.
These recommendations are essential not just for Roma inclusion, but for building truly democratic, equitable societies across the EU.
Roma rights are human rights. Structural change must begin now.
About the Migration Policy Group (MPG)
MPG is an independent think-and-do-tank based in Brussels. MPG’s purpose is rooted in its ability to inspire networks to provide evidence-based projects, research and campaigns in the areas of integration, migration and anti-discrimination.