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Roma’s infidelity in government is a barrier to COVID-19 recovery | Corona virus epidemic

While European nations are vying for vaccinations against COVID-19 in hopes of controlling the spread of the virus and reintroducing it, there is a danger that our vulnerable Roman crews will fall into the trap.

There are more than 12 million Roma in Europe, the smallest in the world. In some European lands, such as Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria, Roma make up about 10 percent of the population. Therefore, if Europe wants to overcome COVID-19, it is important that the Roma people get the vaccine.

However, deep-seated political instability is causing many Roma across the region to reject the vaccine. In fact, only 9% of Roma in Hungary and 11.5% in North Macedonia say they want to take the COVID-19 vaccine when they get it.

The proliferation of delayed vaccination among Roma is at stake not only on the health of a small but patient group and the general population of Europe. If more Roma refuse to be vaccinated, the virus could spread among us, and new, infectious and deadly strains could emerge. This could jeopardize not only us, the Roma, but everyone in Europe and around the world.

To avoid this, European governments need to address the three main causes of vaccination in Rome.

The first of these reasons is an neglected encounter. Governments throughout the region have long refused to listen to our people’s complaints about basic services such as access to clean drinking water, health care and housing. This negligence and neglect has left Roma unable to protect themselves from COVID-19 – it has been impossible to stop the spread of the virus in homes filled with people without access to water, toilets and electricity. Many Roma are skeptical of government-sponsored vaccinations for a long time refusing to respect their rights.

A second reason for self-defense among the Roma is the persecution we have suffered at the hands of medical institutions in Europe for many years. Roman women in Europe, for example, have been under house arrest for more than 50 years – most notably in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is not surprising, then, that many Roma women fear that the COVID-19 vaccine given to them is another contraceptive, and they refuse to take it.

And the persecution of Roma and medical institutions in Europe is not limited to the reproductive health field, too. A Gallup poll conducted by the Open Society Roma Initiatives Office (RIO) conducted in North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania and Serbia found that about 44% of medical professionals in those countries favor Roma. In addition, 38% of medical professionals participating in the study said that they assist in excluding Roman patients in different areas. More than a tenth, he said, knew that their peers did not respect Roman patients. Roma, who have been stigmatized by health professionals for years, are now reluctant to take part in the COVID-19 vaccine.

A third reason for the increasing number of vaccinations among Roma in Europe and the violence that results from the racism we have experienced on the continent. Roma in Europe still remember the recent killings of our communities during WWII. In addition, we continue to face government-sanctioned violence, such as arbitrary arrests, forced and unconstitutional deportations, and torture by security forces in many European countries, from Bulgaria and Hungary to Italy and Serbia.

As a result, many Roma in Europe whose connections with governments are constantly fueled by oppression, discrimination and violence have been driven by the ideological notion that the COVID-19 vaccine is a “mass control tool”.

In order to force the Roman people to get the vaccine, European governments need to accept and address these three issues. They must also acknowledge that communication, not just coercion, is a way to change the Roman mindset on vaccination. Any strong governmental action, such as banning the movement of the unprotected or removing them from the labor market, can exacerbate problems.

Before the COVID-19, the Roma in Europe had already begun a civil war. The plague, however, changed our attitude into a tragedy of compassion. Life is much harder and more difficult for Roma in Europe than ever before. Many Roma children who were able to go to school before the epidemic were severely depleted by the time they were left – unable to participate in remote education, as they did not have computers, internet and reliable electricity. Some of them may not imitate their peers, or they may quit school. Roma who had earned money in street markets, agriculture, tourism, art and entertainment before the epidemic. Without government support, they would not be able to start again.

Without vaccination, the Roma could not stop the epidemic and begin to rebuild their lives.

Roman groups across Europe are launching a campaign to raise awareness among the Roman people that the COVID-19 vaccine is harmless but effective. Opre Roma in Serbia, Avaja in North Macedonia and Aresel in Romania are working with Roman journalists and medical professionals to combat fraud.

But government agencies cannot solve the problem alone. We want governments, civil society organizations and respected cultural and religious leaders to talk to Roma directly and help them resolve their concerns and doubts about the vaccine.

Roma are reluctant to get vaccinated because they do not trust governments and health organizations. Therefore this problem can be solved better if the European governments take the necessary steps to address the root causes of our frustration and anger.

We have seen a few and a few – but promising – advances in this in the Western Balkans. For example, Montenegro and Serbia provided essential services such as water, food, and pesticides to the Roman people during the epidemic. Bosnia and Herzegovina, meanwhile, provided Roman children with technical tools and foreign aid to further their education. The Albanian government offered the Romans the opportunity to provide temporary and additional financial assistance. These are just some of the goal setting shareware that you can use.

But such temporary assistance will not eliminate the epidemic or solve the problems we face in our community. In order to ensure the success of the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the well-being of the Roma, governments need to be courageous and set long-term goals to re-establish the Roma’s trust in the states.

The choice that European governments have today is simple: They strengthen the trust of the Roma in civil society by continuing to do business as usual, or start new negotiations and relations with our regions by providing us with long-term security and much-needed support.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor of Al Jazeera.




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