European Roma Rights Centre

In Shkodër, Albania, Romani families who have lived in the area for over a decade now face eviction and exclusion - living on open ground without electricity, running water, or legal recognition.

The legal battle is already underway. Albania's Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination issued a finding of structural discrimination on 7th July 2025, requesting concrete measures to ensure housing for the evicted families. Instead of complying, the municipality appealed the decision and failed to take meaningful steps toward implementation. The appeal is now before the Albanian Court of Appeal.

Beyond the legal arguments lies a more uncomfortable reality about urban development in southeastern Europe. Cities eager to attract tourists and investment increasingly market riverfronts and public spaces as symbols of renewal. Romani neighbourhoods often become viewed not as communities requiring support, but as obstacles to redevelopment.

The contrast is stark: one side of the city features promenades and beautification projects signaling a modernising future, while on the other, families remain caught between private landowners, municipal authorities, and a legal system now examining whether what happened was not simply neglect, but discrimination embedded into the structure of urban policy itself.

The ERRC and Roma Women's Rights Centre are investigating and considering all legal options.

Read the full story here: https://www.errc.org/news/they-treat-them-like-serfs-romani-families-face-eviction-and-exclusion-in-shkoder-albania

Their memory is our mandate. Na bister le panj shel mila ✊🏽🕯️

It’s been a heady couple of weeks since the historic election landslide that utterly vanquished the ruling Fidesz party. For many, the defeat of the regime in the April elections seemed as momentous as the last ‘system change’ from state socialism in 1990. Péter Magyar’s victory dashed the illusion of the invincibility and inevitability of autocratic rule in an illiberal democracy.

But as the celebrations fade, the real test begins of translating symbolic gestures into systemic change.

In this opinion piece, Bernard Rorke breaks down the pivotal shifts in Hungary's new political landscape: from flying the EU flag once again over parliament, to the new Minister Judit Lannert pledging to reverse school segregation and restore teacher rights. As Hungary starts to move from the "honeymoon period" to the difficult task of coalition-building and delivery, how the state treats its most discriminated against citizens will prove instructive as to what kind of Hungary Péter Magyar wants to build.

Get the full opinion piece here: https://www.errc.org/news/euphoria-and-after-the-test-of-roma-inclusion-in-post-orban-hungary