- Sinti and Roma: Commissioner reminds of Nazi extermination
The Commissioner for Combating Anti-Gypsyism and for the Affairs of Sinti and Roma, Mehmet Daimagüler, is calling for concrete improvements for the Roma, who as descendants of Nazi victims, have been tolerated in Germany for decades. "These people must be given the chance to build a life for themselves in Germany," Daimagüler explained. The occasion was the 80th anniversary of the murder of the last 4,300 Sinti and Roma in the Auschwitz extermination camp in 1944.
August 2nd is the European Holocaust Memorial Day for the Sinti and Roma murdered by the Nazis. Daimagüler, the federal government's commissioner against anti-Gypsyism and for the affairs of Sinti and Roma, emphasized: "Remembrance should not take place in a political vacuum without consequences for today's state actions." The crimes of the past serve as a warning to decisively combat right-wing extremism and all forms of racism today.
Violence and discrimination are still part of everyday life for Sinti and Roma in Germany, Daimagüler explained. And state action must also be questioned. "Thousands of Roma have been living in Germany as tolerated persons for decades, some of them for generations. They are all descendants of genocide victims. Committing to the remembrance of the genocide also means committing to these people."
The rise of right-wing extremism and all forms of racism necessitates a robust response to combat it, as stated by Daimagüler. Extremist ideologies have no place in promoting equality and justice for Sinti and Roma descendants, who have endured discrimination for generations.
