On the night of 2 August 1944, the last 4,300 Roma and Sinti in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp were murdered by the Nazis, despite their fierce resistance. This meant the deaths of more than 500,000 members of the community, which at that time represented at least a quarter of their total population.
The Nazi genocide campaign also killed six million Jews and targeted LGBTIQ+ people, people with disabilities, political dissidents and other minorities.
Prejudices still exist
In a message on the occasion of the European Roma and Sinti Holocaust Remembrance Day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres The survivors were also honored and the courage of their resistance was praised.
However, he warned that the prejudices that fueled the Nazi atrocities would not end with their downfall.
“It is still the case. The sad reality is that Roma people face widespread discrimination in all areas of life and in all parts of the world, not least in Europe,” he said.
“Extremist and xenophobic groups spread hate speech, scapegoat marginalized communities, and sow fear and division.”
Standing together
Mr Guterres called on everyone in the world to work together to combat intolerance in all its forms.
“We must work together… to protect and promote the human rights of Roma and to build a world in which all people live in dignity, peace and freedom,” he added, renewing the commitment of the United Nations as “a steadfast ally in that cause.”
Learn from history
In a separate messageUN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned of the “unimaginable horrors” that can result from hatred and dehumanization.
“We must take to heart the lessons of history,” he told participants via video at the Passing on Memory for the Future of Holocaust Remembrance and Education conference in Krakow, Poland.
“Discrimination, exclusion, marginalization. This is centuries old, but it continues today against a backdrop of increasing hate speech against minorities in general, including on social media and by some populist leaders.”
Mr Türk shared personal memories of the impact of anti-Gypsyism in the immediate aftermath of the Kosovo conflict, where he was involved in setting up a human rights monitoring initiative to address the discrimination and violence faced by Roma, Egyptian and Ashkali communities.
Do more
He added that Roma in Europe continue to face serious challenges, as revealed by a 2021 European Union human rights survey, which found that 17 percent had experienced some form of hate-based harassment in the past 12 months and nearly 80 percent were at risk of poverty.
The UN Commissioner for Human Rights welcomed some positive steps, noting Sweden’s efforts on public commemorations and Germany’s appointment of a federal commissioner on anti-Gypsyism.
“However, much more needs to be done to ensure that all these communities have access to their rights to education, employment, housing, health care, public services and more,” he urged.
