9
November
2009

The situation of Roma EU citizens moving to and settling in other EU Member States

This report released by the Agency highlights the case of the Roma and their particular challenges in exercising these rights. Based on the evidence of its report, the FRA advises the EU and its Member States to adopt targeted policies promoting social cohesion to ensure that all citizens can exercise their right to freedom of movement effectively.

EU citizens have the right to move and live anywhere in the European Union, provided that they meet certain conditions. This is an important right to achieve European integration and is included in the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights (Article 45). However, FRA research shows that many Roma EU citizens settling in another Member State in search of better conditions continue to experience racism, discrimination and exclusion.

Background

In order to investigate how EU citizens exercise their right to freedom of movement ‘on the ground', in 2008 the FRA launched a major research project based on interview fieldwork research. The research was carried out in 2009 in France, Finland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, providing a broad reflection of the experience of Roma EU citizens in ‘receiving' countries.