R
oma have been present in Italy since
the 15th century, partly as a result of
migrations from Southeast Europe
caused by the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Romani groups from
the Ionic and Adriatic coast settled in the south
of Italy, followed in the 16
th
century by the settlement of Sinti groups from Northern Europe in the
north of Italy. Vlax Roma arrived from Moldavia
and Valacchia in the 19
th
century. At the end of
the First World War all Roma in the annexed territories became Italian citizens.
Another migration, this time from Croatia
and Slovenia, occurred during the Second
World War. Starting in the 1960s, there
were other waves of migration from Poland,
Hungary and ex-Yugoslavia, particularly after
the disintegration of the latter and the Balkan
wars. The first Romanian Roma arrived in Italy
in the 1970s. Their numbers increased over the
years, particularly after the lifting of the visa
regime in 2002 and the accession of Romania
to the European Union in 2007. Many of these
migrants do not have Italian citizenship, in
spite of the fact that they have been living
uninterrupted in Italy for several decades.
2
It is estimated today that the Romani
population in Italy numbers around 140,000.
Eighty thousand of them have Italian nationality.
The recent census shows there are 12,346 Roma
living around Rome, Naples and Milan. The
Government estimates that 12,000, mostly
from Romania, left Italy between the beginning
of June 2008 and October 2008, when the
government undertook a census.
3
The Italian perception of Roma and Sinti
Roma and Sinti in Italy are referred to as “nomads”
(Nomadi) by both the authorities and the general
population, who believe that these communities
prefer to live in camps separated from mainstream
Italian society. They are considered “foreigners”
even if only a part of the Romani population living
in the camps is non-Italian, and perceived of as
nomads despite the fact that 70% of the Romani
population has been sedentary for several decades.
4
1
Henry Scicluna was born in Malta and studied law at the university in his home country. He joined
the staff of the Council of Europe in 1969 and has worked in the European Court of Human Rights
and in various sectors dealing with health and social affairs. He retired in 2003, and since then
he has worked on a voluntary basis as Coordinator of Activities Concerning Roma and Travellers
within the Council of Europe and with other international organisations. Mr Scicluna played an
important role in the establishment of the European Roma and Travellers Forum.
2
Council of Europe Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities Second Opinion on Italy. ACFC/INF/OP/(2005)003. 24 February 2005. http:
//www.coe.int/t/e/human_rights/minorities/2._framework_convention_%28monitoring%29/2._
monitoring_mechanism/4._opinions_of_the_advisory_committee/1._country_specific_opinions/
2._second_cycle/PDF_2nd_OP_Italy_en.pdf.
3
UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination: State Party Report, Italy. CERD/C/
406/Add.1. 17 October, 2000. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,CERD,,ITA,4562d8b62,3a
e6aedc10,0.html. Wanted in Rome . “Immigrants: Roma Census Results”. 24 October 2008. http:
//www.wantedinrome.com/news/news.php?id_n=5024.
4
European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance Second Report on Italy. CRI (2002) 4. 23
April 2002. http://www.coe.int/t/e/human_rights/ecri/5-Archives/1-ECRI%27s_work/5-CBC_
Second_reports/Italy_CBC2_en.pdf ........
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