For five centuries in Romania, Roma people were enslaved. Slavery of the Roma people was not banned in Romania until the 1850s, though many Roma people remained indentured servants or were not compensated fairly for their labor because of the aftereffects of slavery,

Roma people were forcefully expelled by law from various regions and whole European countries, including parts of Germany and Italy, Aragon, Sweden, England, France, and Switzerland.

Forced assimilation practices have been put in place by many countries with the goal of stripping Roma people of their culture and forcefully assimilating them. These methods were and are particularly horrifying, including forced sterilization campaigns, the prohibition of the Romani language, the removal of Roma children from their families, and more. Some assimilatory and discriminatory practices still take place in European countries today, with educational segregation, residential segregation, and the prohibition of nomadic practices being particularly common.

Starting in the 1930s, various countries have sporadically deported large numbers of Roma people. These deportations have been controversial and the perpetrating countries claim various motivations behind them, but this highlights the fact that these countries view the Roma as an "internal other" (see resources)- despite the fact that the World Romani Congress deemed the Roma people a "non-territorial nation", and they exist across Europe, many countries still deport Roma people as though they are not equally a part of the nation.

During WWII, the Roma people were subjected to the horrors of the Nazi regime. They were persecuted and over 250,000 Roma were killed, though the exact number is not known and estimated to be much higher. This genocide is called Samudaripen by the International Romani Union, though other terms are also used by various Roma groups.

The first World Roma Congress happened in 1971, and since there have been 11 Congresses. The forums focus on global issues affecting Roma people, including topics like language, culture, education, civic rights, and more. 

The creation of the European Roma Rights Centre has been a boon to Roma rights across Europe, as a public interest law organization that works strategically to address social rights for Roma people both at a policy and individual level. Read more about their legal work here.

Many strides towards Roma inclusion have been made across Europe since the 2000s. These include the formation of various NGOs and governmental committees dedicated to Roma rights and issues, as well as protective legislation and cultural groups. Despite these efforts, many times policy does not reach the circumstances of Roma people, as poverty, segregation, and discrimination are still pervasive issues across Europe. To read more about some of the NGOs working to make change and reach people's everyday lives, click here.