This was how a recent BBC documentary reporting from Sliven, Bulgaria, described the Roma community living with the effects of Covid-19.
“Even dogs can’t live like this”, was how one of the residents described the living conditions.
The documentary went on to point out that across Europe, Roma communities are often shunned and neglected, and Covid-19 has left them struggling to survive. Roma communities are some of the most marginalized in Europe. More than 10 million people live largely in poverty, often in overcrowded settlements, sometimes with no water.
Sliven’s population is approximately 25,000, with a large Roma community which is struggling to fend off the virus. Sadly, they are being blamed for an outbreak of the virus which has resulted in nobody choosing to hire them for work.
