Slovak Roma protesting in Brussels public parks

Since last Wednesday the Belgian media have been following the lives of a number of Roma families from Slovakia who became homeless after being moved out of charitable facilities in Brussels. Chairman of the Belgian Human Rights League (LDH) Alexis Deswaef told the Belgian RTBF TV channel in response to the issue that Belgium lacks a broader political discussion on the Roma and the issue of immigration in Europe. While in Brussels on Monday Slovakia's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák observed that the Slovak authorities have been aware of the problem for several years now. "We provide assistance to all of our citizens that approach us with a request for help, but this wasn't the case in this instance," said the minister, adding that although the Roma in question haven't contacted the Slovak authorities yet, they complained to Belgian journalists that nobody is helping them. The Roma claim that they come from Košice and that they travelled to Belgium because they were victims of persecution in Slovakia. "They can come back home at any time. They don't have the status of asylum seekers or of immigrants. They chose to leave Slovakia, opting for this way of life. I see no space for the Slovak Government and Slovak institutions to engage in this, unless they express their interest in it," said Lajčák.