At the age of eight, Gina (21) was placed in a foster home. There, no one knew the language or culture of the Roma national minority. A year and a half later, she no longer spoke her mother tongue Romanian. – The times I met my mother and my siblings, we had to speak Norwegian so that the child welfare services and the police could understand, she says. – I just completely forgot the language. Gina only wants to be referred to by her first name, but news knows her full identity. Today, Gina works at the Romano kher Roma culture and resource center in Oslo. She is also one of the former foster children who have shared their experiences with RomFrem – a research project on Roma foster children. WORKING FOR ROMA: At Romano kher, Gina (21) does everything from taking down Christmas decorations to working for Roma women and children. Photo: Bård Nafstad / news That these children lose their mother tongue is not unusual, but illegal. This is pointed out by project supervisor Merete Saus, professor of pedagogy at the University of Tromsø (UiT). – Norway violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child, says Saus to news. – Roma children and young people have the right to language and to enjoy the benefits of their culture and ethnic group, even if they are under measures from child protection. Cut off from their own minority In collaboration with Romano kher, Saus is trying to find out how Norwegian Roma under the care of the child protection service can best keep in touch with the Roma community. This is necessary so that the children do not lose their language and belonging, she clarifies. RESEARCHER ON FOSTER CHILDREN: Merete Saus, professor of pedagogy at the University of Tromsø. Photo: Jørn Berger Nyvoll / University of Tromsø Both Roma parents, former foster children and child welfare staff who have contributed their experiences paint a gloomy picture of the situation. The RomFrem project shows the following: Most Roma children who receive child protection measures are placed in non-Roma foster homes. Many Roma foster children are settled at a secret address. There they are completely cut off from the Roma community, culture and language. A lack of qualified interpreters means that many people are refused to use their mother tongue, Romanesque, when socializing. Strengthening children’s rights Gina experienced all of this. She says that she lived in three non-Roma foster homes in different parts of the country. Contact with the biological family was broken after some time. – I was not allowed to have contact with them, claims the 21-year-old. The situation for Roma foster children is harmful and requires action, Professor Saus believes: – It is serious that children lose their language and access to their culture because they have child protection measures. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child gives children the right to grow up with their siblings and to be helped to preserve their language, culture and identity. Norway has received criticism several times for its practice: In 2015, the Council of Europe harshly criticized Norway for its frequent use of foster homes. In 2018, Norway was required by the UN to correct a number of conditions surrounding Norwegian foster children with minority backgrounds. Roma children were then specifically mentioned: the UN chastised Norway for the excessive use of foster homes for this group. The new Child Protection Act, which came into force on 1 January this year, strengthens the cultural rights of children. Norway is required to take into account children’s ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious background in child welfare cases. – Very weak legal certainty Secretary General Tone Granaas of the Norwegian Foster Home Association calls the situation “desperate”: – The legal certainty of children in foster homes is very weak. Unfortunately, children with a minority background all too rarely have their rights fulfilled. It is far too random and arbitrary, says Granaas. CONCERNED ABOUT LEGAL SECURITY: Tone Granaas, secretary general of the Norwegian Foster Home Association, is critical of the lack of training for foster parents. Photo: Stig Jaarvik / news Norway lacks foster homes. There is a particular deficit for foster parents who themselves have a minority background. Foster parents are not sufficiently prepared either, she believes. – Our members report that it is arbitrary whether they receive training and a focus on safeguarding the child’s ethnic background. Bufdir: – Got a job to do Gina describes her ten years in three foster homes as a lonely and demanding culture clash. Division director Kjetil Andreas Ostling in Bufdir confirms that the foster home provision for Roma children does not meet the law: – We don’t always get it out in the services. This must be resolved on an individual level, it can be difficult matters. ADMITS BREACH OF THE CHILDREN’S CONVENTION: Divisional director Kjetil Andreas Ostling in Bufdir. Photo: Håvard Greger Hagen / news There is continuous work to recruit foster homes in relatives and networks, claims Ostling. – We have a job to do in this area. Struggling with belonging After high school, Gina chose to move back to her biological family. Today she is not fluent, but can have conversations in Romanesque and understands most of it. She praises the family for their patience and help. At the same time, she is torn between the structured everyday life she is used to and Roma customs. – It is very difficult to find belonging. I fit into both the Norwegian and Roma communities, but I don’t feel that I am fully one or the other, confides Gina. DO FIELDWORK: (Formerly) Advisor Aylin Desiree Karayazgan (36) and fellow researchers Djulja Spatalaj (43) and Claudia Josef (27) are responsible for the fieldwork in RomFrem. The latter was not present when the picture was taken. Photo: Bård Nafstad / news The main findings in RomFrem harmonize with Gina’s experiences: – All of the former foster children we have been in contact with have lost their mother tongue. They have not been given follow-up or the opportunity to develop a safe identity as a room. That’s what advisor Aylin Desiree Karayazgan and co-researcher Djulja Spatalaj in the project group at Romano kher say. They have no doubt about the consequence: – They have lost belonging. This makes it difficult for them to return. Previous assimilation policies have left their mark for generations. Fact: Roma Roma belong to one of the five national minorities in Norway. The other groups are Forest Finns, Kvens, Jews and Romani. Norway also has an indigenous people; the Sami. At the end of the 19th century, Roma families immigrated to Norway from Eastern Europe. In the 1920s, several Roma experienced being stripped of their Norwegian citizenship. During the Second World War, a group of Norwegian Roma were refused entry to Norway. They became throwing balls between several European countries. As a consequence, 66 Norwegian Romans ended up in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Only four of them survived. The history of the Holocaust and the government’s assimilation policy are considered a disgrace in Norwegian history. The Romano Kher resource and culture center in Oslo was established in 2018 as part of the Norwegian state’s redress for the minority group. SOURCE: Great Norwegian encyclopedia The Minister for Children: – Big challenges Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe (Sp) says in a written statement to news that she has recently been in a meeting with the Roma council. – The stories I heard about how the group experiences the meetings with child protection worry me. Unfortunately, we have major challenges in obtaining foster homes that reflect the children’s background, says Toppe. WILL CONSIDER MEASURES: Minister for Children and Families Kjersti Toppe (Sp). Photo: Morten Waagø / news She does not specifically answer news’s question about what she will do as children’s minister, but writes that “the government will consider further measures in connection with other processes”. Lying 20 years behind the Sami In Tromsø, Professor Merete Saus is alarmed by what RomFrem has uncovered. Saus has previously researched child protection in Sami areas. Knowledge of Norwegian Roma is several decades behind the Sami population, she considers. – We already have the expertise. Then it is sad to discover that we have to go back 20 to 25 years in time in the way we work with Roma. She herself is surprised by the research results: – There is more anti-gypsyism than we thought. Most people don’t know anything about Roma. EXPERIENCING THE OUTDOORS: – I know the culture, but the language is important. I feel on the outside, says former foster home child Gina (21). Photo: Bård Nafstad / news Before, Gina avoided telling people who she was. Then she avoided insults such as “damn gypsies”. – I know how insecure a child can feel. I never got positive feedback on being a room. Therefore, I felt a lot of shame. Affects mental health During the spring, the RomFrem report will be published. Teaching about Roma must be included in professional studies and foster parents must receive the necessary training, the researchers believe. They also want measures to strengthen pride in being Roma. – A secure ethnic identity is important for mental health and well-being, says Saus. For Gina, the hardest thing growing up was being met with ignorance. In high school it peaked. – I had an identity crisis. No one had knowledge. I had many questions, but was left with no answers. It was difficult for both my foster parents and me, says the 21-year-old. Today, she looks forward to the future. The dream is to work as an experience consultant and contribute to bridge building. – I have an understanding of how Norwegian society works. Then it is easier to adapt. Hi!Did you get any thoughts while reading this article? Do you have tips for other news, reports or stories that news should tell? Feel free to send me an email! I am a journalist at news Stor-Oslo where we particularly focus on diversity. Feel free to read my report “Taring the heritage back” about how hate speech and incitement affects national minorities. 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– Violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
