Amnesty International condemns Italy over Roma

(ROME) - Amnesty International on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Mario Monti's government to reform laws and policies affecting the Roma community in Italy, saying they fail to respect human rights.

"Forced evacuations are happening all the time without any consultation or without alternative housing being proposed," said Elisa De Pieri, a researcher at Amnesty, referring to the closure of facilities set up for Romas.

"This constitutes a clear violation of international law," she said at a press conference at Amnesty's offices in Rome.

A survey carried out by the interior ministry in Italy's biggest cities -- Rome, Milan and Naples -- in 2008 found there were a total of more than 12,000 Roma living in 167 camps of which 124 were illegal and 43 legal.

Amnesty Italy president Christine Weise said the government should respect its own "national strategy on the inclusion of Roma" to improve living conditions for the Roma, which was presented to the European Union in February.

In many cases, the expulsions force Romas to live in even more precarious and insanitary conditions than in the temporary housing facilities.

Amnesty also called on the European Commission to open an investigation into violations of anti-racism laws against Italy over its treatment of the Roma.

"This government does not have the courage to make a break with the previous government and is not respecting its commitments in Brussels," said Amnesty official Giusy D'Alconzo, referring to Silvio Berlusconi's previous government.

Carlo Stasolla, head of another non-governmental group helping the Roma community, said that local authorities in Rome alone have spent seven million euros ($9.0 million) over the past three years expelling Roma.