The situation of young Roma people – education, work and the future

It is important for young Roma people in Sweden to be able to speak up for themselves, and society needs to coordinate its efforts to support the group. This is shown in a study by the Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs.

The aim of the study was to gather knowledge and to analyse and shed light on the situation of young Roma, based partly on young people's own accounts and the problems they face, and partly on the work of the municipal authorities with young Roma. The study consists of in-depth interviews with young Roma on how they see their situation in terms of education, employment and future prospects, and a survey of municipal representatives.

A summary of the most important results from the study follows, together with conclusions and recommendations based on the Board's combined knowledge and experience in this area.

A minority in a majority society
The shifting nature of young people's experiences and strategies poses a challenge to any pre-conceived notion of young Roma as a homogeneous group. We see from the results of the study that young Roma find themselves caught between the expectations of their parents and those of the majority society. Young people show a strong interest in developing identities that provide scope both for preserving the Roma culture and for participating in society on equal terms.

There are many different strategies that young Roma may pursue in managing their lives. Some avoid telling people that they are Roma, or shift in and out of the Roma identity – both strategies which elicit strong feelings.
Family and relatives are described as an important safety net, not least in crisis situations, while at the same time, young Roma lack confidence in the authorities.

Important to be able to speak up for oneself
It is important for Roma to be given the opportunity to speak up for themselves. It is also important to pay attention to gender-related differences within the group and to make the most of the diversity of experiences, desires and life choices to which these young people give expression.

Of particular importance in this respect is the capacity to form organisations in the interests of the group's culture, language, identity and rights. On 1 January 2010 a new Swedish minority law came into force, which will strengthen the rights and status of Roma as a minority group. In the Board's previous work in distributing state contributions to national minorities, we saw increased interest from the Roma minority in forming interest organisations. Where young Roma are concerned, we see a need for measures to support this.

Education, training and working life
The young people who took part in the study showed a clear understanding of the need for education and training in order to find employment and realise future ambitions. We know that the transition between school and working life is particularly problematic for young people who lack role models, guidance or networks. Based on the present study and the Board's combined knowledge, we consider that the following factors are essential in improving the situation of young Roma:

• Alternative pathways to training and integration into working life are needed, as is recognition of experience in alternative learning environments.


• Support should be provided for doing homework at school or in other settings after school hours.


• Mother-tongue teaching in schools should be strengthened, since competence in the mother tongue is important for young people's self-esteem and development in school.


• Bullying in schools must be combated, since bullying can delay an individual's integration into society for many years, in particular when it affects self-esteem in young people who are already in a vulnerable situation.


• Careers guidance should be developed, taking the circumstances and needs of young Roma as the point of departure.


• Teachers need to be given basic knowledge on the legislative status and rights of Sweden's five national minorities.


• Human rights and minority issues should be addressed to a greater extent in the school curriculum.


• More frequent opportunities to discuss politics and society in schools should be offered, since this will lead to increased engagement with society outside of school.


• Young parents need basic support in lower- and upper-secondary education to enable them to complete their studies. All too often, young parents leave school during the lower-secondary stage. Clear guidelines for schools are therefore needed where young parents are concerned.

Young Roma face similar difficulties to other young people regarding employment, aspirations for self-fulfilment and the need for room to manoeuvre. At the same time, it is important not to turn a blind eye to the discrimination that young Roma often face. A key condition for improving the situation of young Roma is the preparation of active measures to combat discrimination, in accordance with the relevant legislation.

Municipal responsibilities
A common thread in the responses of municipal officials to the survey and to telephone interviews is that they see their job in meeting young Roma as being to treat them in the same way as they treat other young people.

Officials who took part in the survey expressed an unwillingness to treat young Roma differently, since this could reinforce stigmatisation and exclusion. To the extent that officials were aware of the legislation on minorities, few were able to describe what impact this legislation had on them in their work. Principles and attitudes relating to non-discrimination seem to be deeply rooted, with relatively little knowledge of the special position and rights of minorities.

An important observation is that the municipalities, with few exceptions, lack strategies and action plans for improving the living conditions of young Roma. The Board considers that substantial scope exists for the development of support to young Roma through coordinated efforts by the employment service, schools and municipalities.

By way of conclusion, the Board notes that the present level of knowledge and research on the situation of Roma people in general, and young people in particular, is limited. Further studies are needed to provide an in-depth picture of the conditions Roma people are living under, and knowledge that can serve to underpin new initiatives for, by and with Roma.