Bulgaria Faces Scrutiny Over Persistent Roma Rights Gaps Ahead of UPR Pre-Session
On Friday, August 26th, 2025, Bulgaria had its Universal Periodic Review Pre-session. A Pre-session is a meeting on the human rights situation in a specific UN Member State. Pre-sessions provide national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) with an international platform through which they can inform the representatives of the recommending States about the human rights situation in the State under review (SuR) before the UPR. Second, they offer an opportunity for permanent missions to gather first-hand information on the human rights situation in the countries under review.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique mechanism of the Human Rights Council that calls for each UN Member State to undergo a peer review of its human rights records every 4.5 years. The UPR provides a platform for critical observation and recommendations, enabling Albania to align its policies with global human rights standards. This mechanism is particularly significant for the Roma community as it helps to spotlight critical issues, ensure government accountability, and promote inclusive development.
Last UPR Cycle
In the previous cycle, Bulgaria received about 22 recommendations focusing on Roma from countries such as Austria, Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Holy See, Hungary, Iran, Montenegro, Nepal, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Venezuela.
A significant number of states called on Bulgaria to combat racist, xenophobic, and homophobic rhetoric, particularly targeting Roma individuals. Concerns were raised over the excessive use of force by law enforcement and the lack of accountability for racially motivated violence and discrimination. The majority of recommendations centered on the urgent need to improve social inclusion for Roma communities.
This includes addressing high school dropout rates, increasing preschool attendance, ensuring equal access to quality education, and tackling segregation and discrimination within the education system. Similar attention was called to improve employment opportunities and access to healthcare, with states urging Bulgaria to show visible results under its National Roma Integration Strategy.
Forced evictions of Roma communities were explicitly criticized, with strong calls to refrain from demolishing settlements without providing adequate alternative housing. The lack of legal safeguards and access to social housing for Roma families remains a pressing issue, contributing to the cycle of poverty and marginalization. Several states highlighted the need to address intersectional discrimination faced by Roma women and girls, particularly in education, employment, healthcare, and protection from violence.
Such challenges affecting Roma women still persist as a recent report authored by Maria Atanasova and published by the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD), presents an in-depth analysis of the structural barriers Roma women face in accessing livelihood rights and entitlements.
The August UPR Pre-Session
Roma civil society organizations (CSOs) play a significant role by submitting alternative reports or “shadow reports” during the UPR process. Before the actual review, CSOs, including Roma organizations, engage in national and regional consultations to provide their input on key issues affecting Roma communities. Amalipe and GFoD played a crucial role in advocating for the rights of the Roma community in Bulgaria for the August UPR Pre-Session.
GFoD intern Magdalena Sarandeva, a highly educated Roma woman from Bulgaria took the lead to engage in the pre-session of Bulgaria and she will deliver a statement and present a joint report Amalipe and GFoD have submitted to the OHCHR prior to the pre session.
This stakeholder report, prepared by the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD) and Amalipe, sets out the current policy context and persistent human rights challenges faced by Roma communities in Bulgaria. Despite the existence of national strategies and action plans aimed at promoting equality, inclusion, and participation, the report highlights significant shortcomings in their implementation.
Roma individuals continue to experience widespread discrimination, social exclusion, and violations of their rights in critical areas such as education, housing, health, employment, and protection from violence. While various ministries have formally adopted targeted programs and reforms, progress remains uneven and gaps in policy, legal protection, and resource allocation continue to undermine real change.
The report calls for the Bulgarian government to prioritize the situation of Roma as communities discriminated on work and descent, recognizing their unique vulnerabilities within the broader context of racism and xenophobia in Europe. It urges comprehensive, intersectional policy reform, effective anti-discrimination measures, targeted budget allocations, and improved partnership with civil society. The submission makes specific recommendations across themes such as legal recognition, access to basic services, educational desegregation, health care, violence prevention, and economic inclusion, emphasizing the need for sustained action to guarantee Roma rights under both national and international human rights frameworks.