logo ERRCThe European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) has supported a report which depicts the alarming situation of Syrian Dom refugees in Turkey, based on interviews held in camps and with human rights organisations on site.

Dom, an ethnic minority from the Middle East, are linked to European Roma and Caucasian Lom, although linguistic and socio-cultural differences prevail. According to Joshua project, about 45.700 Dom are living in Syria, most of them in tents with shifting residencies or in the outskirts of cities. They often have to suffer from social and economic stigmatization up to open hostility and aggression.

When the conflict in Syria started, members of the Dom minority were not taking sides between the opposing parties involved and yet they could not find peace: they were directly affected by the war, losing family members and children to the fighting. Also after having fled to neighbouring countries Turkey, stigmatization continued. This time, the Dom had to face double discrimination due to their minority and their refugee status. They usually live in informal camps under inadequate living conditions with lacking access to water, food and sanitation facilities.

In order to improve the situation, ERRC Executive Director András Ujlaky calls upon the international community “to develop and implement comprehensive integration policies for Syrian refugees”.

Read the full report here.