24 June marks National Roma Day, but Portugal remains without a new National Strategy, more than two years after the end of the previous one, a situation that is compromising the work of Roma associations, the execution of local projects, and even the survival of some organisations.

The warning comes from Bruno Gonçalves, a Roma mediator and vice-president of Letras Nómadas, who accuses the government of lacking the political will to implement the new strategy and cites associations that have closed or are about to close due to lack of funding.

"Only Portugal and Malta in the EU have not adopted the new national strategies," he said.

Lacking details

According to Bruno Gonçalves, associations still lack details about the process, even though the Government announced months ago that the document was being prepared for public consultation. "We're always the last to know," he lamented.

The association leader considered that the delay is compromising programs that have produced results in recent years, particularly in education and community mediation, citing the ‘Opré’ and ‘RomEduca’ programs as examples, which have increased the number of young Roma people in higher education. "We are watching this progress unravel," he said.

Absence of strategy

The main consequence of the absence of a strategy is the blocking of support lines for Roma associations, which allowed the financing of small-scale projects developed by the communities themselves.

“I have information about four or five associations that, by the end of the year, will close their doors because they cannot survive,” he said.

Lack technical structure

Bruno Gonçalves emphasises that most of these organisations lack the technical structure and resources to compete for more complex funding, unlike large institutions in the social sector.

The risk of these structures disappearing worries the leader, who highlights the growing role of Roma women in associative leadership and fears losing the capacity-building work developed over the last decade.

Council support

The reality described by Bruno Gonçalves is echoed in the experience of the Intercultural Roma Association (Incig), based in Carnide, Lisbon.

The president of the association, Bruno Oliveira, admits that the organisation would have already closed if it weren't for the support provided by the Carnide Parish Council.

“Only the parish council has provided some occasional support, and that's what allows us to remain active as an association,” he stated.

Promoting health literacy

Created to promote health literacy and support Roma communities in accessing healthcare, Incig lost access to funding lines that existed within the national strategy and was forced to seek alternative support.

According to Bruno Oliveira, the association continues to organise initiatives and awareness campaigns thanks to local partnerships, logistical support from public entities, and personal contributions from leaders, volunteers, and participants.

“If we had that specific support before, we don’t anymore. We have to look for other paths because life goes on,” he summarised.

Lack of stronger commitment

The official believes there is a lack of stronger commitment from the State to Roma associations and warns of the difference between integration and inclusion: “Many times we are integrated, but we are not included.”

The importance of the Roma associative movement is also highlighted by sociologist Maria Manuela Mendes, the researcher responsible for the new national study on Roma communities.

According to the researcher, about half of the more than 2,200 surveys already carried out as part of the research were administered directly by Roma associations across the country.

“There has been great collaboration on the part of the associations, activists and people who represent the communities in different territories,” she explained.

Associativism

Maria Manuela Mendes believes that associativism was decisive in overcoming distrust in some communities and in ensuring the collection of information in a context marked by rising anti-Roma sentiment.

The researcher warned, however, that the work developed in recent years is at risk. “Without a national strategy, this work, this empowerment, and this autonomy that many associations have achieved is compromised,” she stated.

She explained that support lines for associations stopped accepting calls for proposals at the end of 2021, creating increasing difficulties for organisations in maintaining activities and projects.

Despite the growth in the number of associations and the diversification of areas of intervention, from human rights to combating racism and gender violence, Maria Manuela Mendes admitted that the sector is currently experiencing a period of great fragility.