Stereotype n° 12: Financial situation

Roma are usually conceived as either extremely poor or as incredibly rich.

If they are poor then this must be due to their laziness. If they are rich then this is most likely a ‘proof’ of drug dealing or other forms of illegal businesses. 

In reality, poverty nowadays is often due to the fact that Roma have been left out of the post-communist political and economic transitions. Still today, they are discriminated and often excluded from the school system (see stereotype 13); they face discrimination when seeking for a job, and in many countries they are segregated in geographically isolated settlements. In some cases, their situation excludes them from the social protection benefits (institutional disctimination). As a consequence, many Roma today are trapped in a vicious circle of poverty and social exclusion which cannot be considered as their own fault.

For more information go to:

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EXTROMA/Resources/roma_in_expanding_europe.pdf,

Council of Europe Report on "Access of Roma to Employment in SEE", 2005

Council of Europe Report on “Access of Roma to Employment” in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2004

Council of Europe Report on “Access of Roma to Employment” in the “former Yougoslav Republic of Macedonia, 2004

Council of Europe Report on “Access of Roma to Employment” in Serbia and Montenegro, 2004