Italian authorities forcibly evict another Roma community

12/11/2009 - Amnesty International has condemned the forced eviction of a community of about 400 Roma people in the Italian capital, Rome. According to local NGOs and media, around 150 police officers evicted the families from the Via Centocelle camp, in the east of the city, on Wednesday morning.

All the community's shelters were destroyed and around 20 Roma men were arrested. It is not known what charges they face. The municipality offered short-term shelter to some of the Roma women and small children, in the city's dormitories for homeless people. The majority of those made homeless, numbering some 100 families, have occupied an abandoned privately owned factory nearby. According to the latest media report, these families are facing today another forced eviction. If evicted, they face living in harsh conditions at another makeshift camp, or may even be forced to live out in the open.

The community includes around 140 children, 40 of whom attend schools nearby. The eviction threatens to interrupt their schooling and seriously disrupt their education. Local NGOs say that the community was not notified or consulted about the eviction. Under domestic law, the authorities should notify each individual, or publish an order or notice.

Read more on http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/italian-authorities-forcibly-evict-another-roma-community-20091112