Romani people in Portugal
Encyclopedia
The Romani people in Portugal
are known as Ciganos, and their presence goes back to the second half of the 15th century. Early on, due to their socio-cultural difference and nomadic style of life, the Ciganos were the object of fierce discrimination and persecution. They belong to the Iberian Kale (Kalos)
group, like the Spanish Romani people or Gitanos.
The number of Romani people in Portugal is difficult to estimate, since it is forbidden to collect statistics about race or ethnic categories in the country. According to data from Council of Europe
's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance
there are about 40,000 to 50,000 spread all over the country. According to the Portuguese branch of Amnesty International
, there are about 30,000 to 50,000.
life style, rather concentrating themselves in the most important urban centers. This population was characterised by very low levels of educational qualification, self imposed social exclusion and residential and housing difficulties (many living in degraded ghettos). However, from the late 1990s to the 2000s, major public housing
(bairros sociais) policies were targeted at providing housing for the poor, including the Portuguese Romani people.
The Ciganos are the ethnic group that the Portuguese
most reject and discriminate against, and are also targets for discriminatory practices from the State administration, namely at a local level, finding persistent difficulties in the access to job placement, housing and social services, as well as in the relation to police forces, although the most recent reports name a number of positive measures by the central administration.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
are known as Ciganos, and their presence goes back to the second half of the 15th century. Early on, due to their socio-cultural difference and nomadic style of life, the Ciganos were the object of fierce discrimination and persecution. They belong to the Iberian Kale (Kalos)
Calé
Calé refers to the Iberian Kale, or Romani people in the Iberian Peninsula .It may specifically refer to:*Romani people in Spain, known as gitanos*Romani people in Portugal, known as ciganosFor their language see:*Caló language...
group, like the Spanish Romani people or Gitanos.
The number of Romani people in Portugal is difficult to estimate, since it is forbidden to collect statistics about race or ethnic categories in the country. According to data from Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance
European Commission against Racism and Intolerance
European Commission against Racism and Intolerance is the Council of Europe’s independent human rights monitoring body specialised in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance. It consists of 47 experts, one from every CoE member state. ECRI publishes...
there are about 40,000 to 50,000 spread all over the country. According to the Portuguese branch of Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, there are about 30,000 to 50,000.
Social situation
The majority of the Romanis do not have today a nomadNomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
life style, rather concentrating themselves in the most important urban centers. This population was characterised by very low levels of educational qualification, self imposed social exclusion and residential and housing difficulties (many living in degraded ghettos). However, from the late 1990s to the 2000s, major public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
(bairros sociais) policies were targeted at providing housing for the poor, including the Portuguese Romani people.
The Ciganos are the ethnic group that the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
most reject and discriminate against, and are also targets for discriminatory practices from the State administration, namely at a local level, finding persistent difficulties in the access to job placement, housing and social services, as well as in the relation to police forces, although the most recent reports name a number of positive measures by the central administration.