Mugur Varzariu, is a Romanian documentary photographer who created a web page depicting the living conditions of the Roma in the village of Eforie

Please follow the links below to get more information.

 http://www.mugurvarzariu.com/the-forced-evictions-of-around-one-hundred-roma-people-in-eforie-sud/  "rain of tears" 

www.mugurvarzariu.com


Failing to get help from local NGO’s, Roma party, mass media and international organizations, for the first time in three years, a Roma official working for the Constanta prefecture, called and asked for my help. The next day I arrived in Eforie Sud. Earlier, on Friday, September 27, forced evictions where carried out by the local authorities in Eforie Sud, after issuing a seven days formal notice.
In a few hours, the life of almost sixty Roma families of Turkish origin, living on Agricola Street, most of them since the early ’90, was shattered. Even though they didn’t own the land, over the past 30 years, the city hall has ‘illegally’ issued ID cards for most of the Roma living on Agricola Street, so they could cast their vote during the elections.

More than 50 children where brutally dragged into the streets by riot police forces and left to face extreme weather conditions with virtually no protection. The families lost their homes together with their life savings, from furniture, cloths and other possessions to documents and food. The pouring rain makes it extremely difficult for the mothers to bake bred, the only food, scarce but still available.

As far as I could understand the city hall can not justify the evictions through emergency, there where no consultations and therefore no alternatives where presented, including temporary adequate housing, no children psychologists where present during the eviction procedures and the authorities proceeded to evict in the middle of a orange code warning for heavy rains.

Following my call for help, Save the Children mobilized their resources to send food and organize with Red Cross the raise of a tented camp. Unfortunately, due to bureaucracy, the tents where never raised. After a debrief, Amnesty International also issued a public statement condemning the evacuations.

The forced evictions of around one hundred Roma people in Eforie Sud is another shameful example of how Roma people are treated in Romania, a country were we build shelters for stray dogs while children are left to sleep under the sky.

   

   

   

   

   

Inside view of the unsuitable for living shelter, eventually made available by the mayor only five days after he demolished approximately 22 Roma houses, as seen in Eforie Sud on October 7, 2013. Street in Eforie Sud on October 10, 2013. Regardless international pressure to stop such practices, local authorities threaten to forcibly evict the remaining Roma people, two weeks after the initial displacement. On Friday 27, 2013, local authorities in Eforie Sud proceeded to forcibly evict more than 100 Turkish Roma people, leaving almost 60 children, mostly under 10 with no shelter, facing extreme weather conditions and lack of food.