Today Eurodiaconia published a report entitled “Addressing Barriers for Roma to Access Employment.” The current EU policy framework for Roma inclusion, the Roma Strategic Framework for Equality, Inclusion, and Participation 2020-2030 highlights access to employment as one of its priority areas. The implementation of this framework through National Roma Strategic Frameworks provides an opportunity to enact meaningful change in the area of employment for Roma people in the coming decade.

There has been limited success in the context of the past Roma framework to overcome the structural barriers that systematically exclude Roma from the labour market. Therefore, the new Roma framework focuses on the root issues, including systemic antigypsyism, lack of long-term funding, and holistic support to Roma along the life cycle to overcome the cycle of poverty. This widened perspective is necessary if Member States are to meaningfully include Roma in the formal labour market. This report outlines measures Member States should adopt, from the perspective of non-profit social service providers, in order to bridge the gap between the current situation and the targets laid out in the Roma Strategic Framework.

Eurodiaconia members contributed to this report in the context of our Roma Inclusion Network Meeting which took place this year in Prague hosted by our member Diakonie ECCB. The report includes the ongoing challenges Eurodiaconia members face in implementing successful projects to assist Roma to access quality training and employment, outlines best practice examples, and concludes with concrete recommendations for EU and Member State policies.

Click here to read the full report.