Today, the European Parliament joins the international community in marking European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day and remembering the 500,000 Sinti and Roma who faced atrocities in Nazi-occupied Europe.
On the night between the 2nd and 3rd of August 1944, the last 4,300 Sinti and Roma remaining in the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp were murdered, with most of them being women, children and elderly people. Today, the European Parliament does not only remember the crimes committed against humanity, but also the importance of speaking up.
On this solemn occasion, the European Parliament remembers the lessons learned from the first recognition of the Roma and Sinti Holocaust, and reaffirms that Romani people must enjoy the same rights and treatment as all European citizens.
The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said: “Today we pay tribute to Roma and Sinti people’s contribution to the rich fabric of our European socities. Europe must stand up for the values it holds to be true: the rule of law, democracy and equality. The moment we become complacent is the moment we allow history to repeat itself.”
80 years later, too many Romani women and men in Europe still live in the margins of society. “In our Europe, we cherish our differences, unique traditions, cultures and diversity. That means that Roma people must enjoy the same opportunities and chances as any other European citizen,” President Metsola said.
Since 2015, the European Parliament has been marking the European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day every 2nd August.