They are Roma, not “Gypsy”: the discrimination Romani people face in Berlin

Roma faces discrimination in Berlin

Roma is Europe’s largest ethnic minority, with an estimated 10 to 12 million people living across the World Health Organization’s European region. In Berlin, many Roma have come in search of better opportunities for stability, work, and housing, but discrimination continues to shape their daily lives. 

According to a report from youth organisation Amaro Foro, 1,749 cases of antigypsyist discrimination were documented between 2014 and 2024, showing a pattern that has grown over time. The organisation has observed a clear increase in antigypsyist incidents. Particularly in the domain of "everyday life and public space.” Roma face insults and physical attacks in public areas, including public transport and on the street. The organisation thinks the public propaganda promoting the idea of antigypsyism in terms of threatening letters, stickers, graffiti, explicitly anti-gypsyist election posters, or mass mailings is one of the reasons.

“Everywhere, in every field of life you can imagine, Roma people are discriminated against,” said Geena Birkenmeier, who works at Amaro Foro. This Berlin-based non-profit organisation supports Romani people and documents anti-Roma discrimination. She said it is part of everyday life for the Roma to face discrimination in Berlin.

Housing Crisis for Roma

Berlin’s housing crisis affects everyone, but Roma people are often hit especially hard. When Roma families try to rent a flat, they may face discrimination from landlords who are unwilling to rent to them. Even after finding housing, they can encounter additional barriers, such as long and complicated application forms. Birkenmeier said that forms intended for Roma applicants can be 10 to 20 pages longer than standard ones, and that some Roma have described the process as harassing.

Acceptance by neighbours is another challenge. In Schöneberg, an emergency shelter for homeless people has housed some Roma without stable accommodation. Some local residents have reacted negatively, and an Instagram account was reportedly created to film Roma people in the area, show their faces, and complain about their presence.

Roma change their school every year

School is another field where Romani kids experience a lot of discrimination. According to Birkenmeier, a lot of Romani kids are being bullied at school by students and teachers. Some of the teachers are being “absolutely racist”. It became one of the reasons why they change schools very often. 

The annual report of The Reporting and Information Centre on Antigypsyism recorded 313 antigypsyist incidents in educational settings in 2024, an increase from 212 cases recorded in 2023. Incidents include verbal and physical assaults to threats, insults, and discriminatory institutional practices. There was a case in 2024 in which a Sinti schoolboy in Berlin was tied to a bench and beaten by other children. 

Housing problems are another reason causing them to switch schools every year. Some of them are being kicked out of their house and need to find a new place. A new school for their children is then needed.

Birkenmeier also mentioned that teachers were found bullying Romani students. Romani children are usually graded lower in school, saying that they cannot read and write well, which is not the truth. Geena says the students are being “undervalued”. 

“These people will be underachievers, even though they're very good, but no one believes in them”. 

Romani kids are then being put in special needs classes, even though they are not special needs students. Parents will then help them change to another school so they are being put in the right class. 

No way to seek help

There are few places for Roma children and families to turn when they face discrimination. When children are bullied at school, they often have no clear reporting mechanism, so families are left to seek help from Roma-support organisations, which can document the case but have limited power to intervene.

“Sometimes teenagers come to talk about how they are being bullied,” Birkenmeier said. “These kids are very bright and intelligent, but they describe what they are going through as hopeless and frustrating. Even after they change schools, the same problems often start again.”

Over time, this can deepen isolation. Some Roma end up socialising only within their own family circles, such as cousins or siblings, because language barriers and discrimination make it difficult to build wider friendships. Birkenmeier warns that this cycle of exclusion can also affect mental health.

A gap in the education

Education is needed to challenge the normalisation of anti-Roma discrimination. Birkenmeier said that a lack of historical awareness and education has helped make discrimination against Roma seem more acceptable than discrimination against some other ethnic minorities. 

In Berlin schools, the history of the Nazi period is often taught in depth, and the trauma of Jewish people is widely discussed. By contrast, Birkenmeier said that when she was in high school, the history and experience of Roma and Sinti were only briefly mentioned for about one or two hours. She argued that this gap in education leaves many people with only stereotypes or half-knowledge about Roma communities. In her view, teachers should receive more training so they can approach the topic with greater sensitivity, encourage real understanding, and help students build meaningful relationships with Roma people rather than relying on stereotypes.

Building a deeper social belonging

While discrimination remains a daily reality for many Roma in Berlin, non-profit organisations are working to create spaces of support, visibility, and belonging. Through workshops, social assistance, documentation of discrimination, and public events such as Roma Day, these groups are helping Roma people build stronger ties to the city and to their own identity.