In Europe, Italy is famously known as "the country with Roma camps." In Rome, about 9,000 men, women and children live in what can be called "ethnic ghettoes," segregated from the rest of society, in poor health and hygienic conditions.

The established "policy of camps," managed and funded by the City of Rome with an annual budget of over 24 million euros — but not a cent used for the social inclusion of these communities — has suffered some serious blows in recent weeks, raising hope that an actionable plan to overcome this situation could be near.

Landmark ruling

On May 30, the Civil Court of Rome ruled against Rome in case regarding one camp, stating that the Roma camp La Barbuta — one of the seven that can be found in the reaches of Italy's capital — is in fact discriminatory by its very existence. The court accepted a 2012 appeal presented by Italian human rights NGOs Associazione 21 luglio and ASGI.

This is a landmark ruling: for the first time in Europe, a court recognized the discriminatory nature of a housing solution exclusively aimed at Roma people, which hinders "the effective co-existence with the local population, the equal access to education, social and health services," and note that the camp is "located in a serious health-risk area."

From now on, the "discriminatory" label can be applied to other "Roma camps" in Rome and across Italy — one more reason to find new solutions.

Best House Rom

Another huge blow to the policy of Roma camps came thanks to the National Anti-Corruption Authority, again in response to a complaint by Associazione 21 luglio.

Supposedly a hostel, Best House Rom is in fact a former factory, which is not appropriate for lodging people, claimed the Italian NGO. Yet the City of Rome uses the old factory to house Roma, cramming hundreds of people in small rooms with no windows or lights. It is reported that about 3 million euros was spent on Best House Rom in 2014.

Mafia ties

The Anti-Corruption Authority has also asked Roman authorities to explain why they bypassed the provision of public tenders and instead assigned the management of the hostel directly to a cooperative that turned out to be part of a major Mafia investigation.

The so-called “Mafia Capitale” scandal, which came to light some months ago, revealed connections between politicians and criminal organizations around the system of reception of migrants and Roma people in the capital. Many politicians, managers and city organizers have been arrested or are still under investigation.