At the beginning of February, bulldozers came in to demolish 36 barracks and six tents set up in two favelas on the suburbs of the Rome where mainly Roma people were living. The police reportedly did not find any occupants and the area was locked down to prevent any other people accessing it.

Eviction in "clear violation of international obligations"

Association 21 Luglio, a non-profit organisation involved in promoting the rights of the Roma and Sinti communities in Italy, intervened immediately based on concerns about the way in which the eviction was carried out and because of the threats to homes before the demolition started.

According to an Association 21 Luglio press release "The dismantling of the houses was preceded, in recent days, by threats of division of the family groups of the occupants and by the partial preventive destruction of the structures. No appropriate alternative has been offered to the occupants. We therefore believe that this is an illegal eviction, which does not respect fundamental rights".

The association has also stated that the eviction took place "in clear violation of international obligations and without respecting the procedural guarantees regarding evictions provided by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of the United Nations".

Testimonies show that in the days before the eviction families were repeatedly targeted by the Police, who told them that if anyone was in the buildings on the day of the eviction families could be broken up and children possibly separated from parents. The windows and doors of the barracks were later destroyed to prevent people from returning.

Administrators have failed to find alternative solutions

The Municipal Administration has no plan for what should happen to families after they are evicted after settlements are demolished. There seem to be no alternative plans in place for these people, which deprives them of their fundamental rights.

Association 21 Luglio has highlighted its concerns surrounding the management of forced evictions of Roma communities in the territory of Roma Capitale and the manner in which they are carried out. This seems to be yet another episode of violation of human rights.

The City of Rome appears to be ignoring the opinion of the Committee for Social Rights of the Council of Europe, which expressed a serious concerns about the living conditions of Roma communities.