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Twinning activities for Roma integration

Twinnings are developed with local and regional authorities in order to lead concrete measures in Roma integration locally and encouraging the development of a EU wider network.

Roma in Cluj County

Cluj County in Romania is on the Western border of Transylvania close to the Hungarian border. Of a population of 691,106, 22,525 people declare themselves as Roma.

There are four major Roma communities in Cluj county: Cluj Napoca-Pata Rat (2,000 people), Turda (over 2,600), Huedin (about 1,000) and Gherla (735).

Main challenges

The main difficulties facing the Roma population in Cluj County are

  • very low levels of education
  • high unemployment rate 
  • poor housing conditions
  • lack of identification cards and/or birth certificates, which excludes them from social services and benefits
  • lack of family doctor; this affects more than 80% of the Roma and diseases often go untreated
  • lack of access to basic utilities such as water and electricity

Cluj County wants to use its for Roma, with Roma twinning partnership to develop and implement an effective local action plan.