Sint-Niklaas, what's next?

Roma policy, 06/02/'24, report.
Present: Lieven Dehandschutter (Mayor, N-VA), Mia Mortier (Chairwoman of the Municipal Council, Groen), Jef Maes (Board Member PVDA), Johan Vermeersch (Avansa Waas en Dender), Philip De Klerck, Paul De Meester, Wouter Van Bellingen, Inge Hellemans (ABB, Flemish Government)
Apologies: Sofie Heyrman (Alderman of Welfare, Groen), Jos De Meyer (Municipal Councilor CD&V), Kris Van der Coelden (Municipal Councilor Vooruit).

A. Challenge 1: What is needed for a cultural center in Sint-Niklaas?
Roma community: A place to experience culture and language, not a mosque.
Policy: Learning the language should not lead to isolation within one's own community; there should be contact not only within the community but also with others outside of it. Religious services are available for the Polish and Romanian communities, and it's normal that the Roma community needs a meeting place. The Roma community has already made suggestions, but the proposed locations were not suitable (too small, not in the correct zoning, lack of parking). There is currently a temporary center, but if it remains in use too long, the fire department will need to inspect it for fire safety.
Roma community: The current temporary space has been in use for 3 to 4 months, with a small kitchen and tables for activities like games and social gatherings (for the elderly, youth, women). There has always been consultation with the city to find a solution for the infrastructure.
Roma community: There is a need for a place where youth and children can meet; otherwise, they will gather on the streets as they cannot go to cafes or nightclubs.
There is a regional subsidy for cultural and youth infrastructure from the Department of Youth. If funding can be found this way, it can be explored further.
Roma community: The association is aware of the different possibilities. A new name for the association is also coming. There is no support from abroad.
Objective: Positive image building.
Policy: The comments made by Conner Rousseau have had a very negative impact on the Roma and on Sint-Niklaas. People should be addressed for their behavior, not for their origin.
How can we reverse this?
Roma community: Positive image building, and from there, we can rebuild.
Note: One Roma person does not represent the entire Roma community. Negative experiences have too much of an impact on public perception.
Policy: Unspoken rules need to be articulated, and people need guidance (e.g., bystander training on daily customs, racism, etc.).
Example: Referrals to social housing—it’s not because "foreigners" are being favored.

B. Challenge 2: What collaborations exist, and how can they be strengthened?
Roma community: There is already good contact with the Agency for Integration & Civic Integration (AgII) because many people are not being reached, especially those required to integrate. AgII is pleased with the contact with the Roma Cultural Center, as it helps reach people and encourages them to attend classes.
There has been a discussion with young people about respect, and an activity is planned for March 8 (International Women's Day). They are also in contact with Casa Da Vinci (school) and other schools through volunteers.
Future: Dutch lessons in collaboration with the Welfare Department, "Roma Experts Network" (this name still needs adjustment).
Policy: There have been improvements compared to the past regarding school enrollment, truancy, and low parental involvement—there is little participation in parent-teacher conferences, homework support, etc.
There are issues with problematic masculine behavior (Roma boys protecting Roma girls) on school grounds, rude or difficult-to-handle teenagers, and teachers don't always know how to manage this.
Referring Roma children to special education is problematic—if children are often absent, their learning paths are interrupted, and they earn low grades, leading to a 45% referral rate to special education.
The Roma community presents a good overview of collaboration with schools.
There are solutions, provided lessons from the past are learned.
Proposal: Establish a working group on education—house visits, bridge figures, role models, issues with study advice and orientation, differences between schools, biases from CLB staff, parental involvement, and referrals to special education.

C. Challenge 3: Social housing => larger social homes / living together in the city / employment
There are fewer requests for social housing now. When requests do arise, overcrowding is common, as many families have several children, leading to problems on the streets and with neighbors. However, this issue has significantly reduced in recent years, and good neighborly relations are more common.
Roma community: Many Roma have bought their own homes as renting is difficult due to discrimination in the rental market. Some clans are preventing excessive cohabitation.
The Roma community is speaking with Romanian Roma to prevent begging and avoid neighborhood issues.
There are interesting youth groups in Sint-Niklaas to foster connections—culture, youth, and sports.
Roma community: Street worker Thijs often organized football tournaments, but these sometimes resulted in fights. Competitive sports may not always be the best way to build connections.
Proposal: Music builds bridges in Beveren (JOC ’t Ogenblik). This could also be set up in Sint-Niklaas: youth centers like Het Kompas and Kolab for rehearsal spaces and music, as well as talking to music clubs like De Casino about hosting a Roma evening or to t’Ey for folk and world music. This could also apply to the sports sector.
Proposal: Create a working group.
Concrete idea: Establish links with the municipal youth service.
In Antwerp, there will be a talent show on March 25 with young people, bringing everyone together. April 8 is International Roma Day.
There are plans to take the youth on a visit to the Kazerne Dossin in Mechelen. Another idea is to bring a Roma Genocide exhibition, currently in a museum in Croatia, to Sint-Niklaas.
Proposal: Establish a working group to bring the Roma Genocide exhibition to Sint-Niklaas in April 2025.

D. Challenge 4: Advisory councils to address issues
The city’s advisory and youth councils have quietly disappeared.
There are currently 140 different nationalities living in Sint-Niklaas.
Participation is important. On the Flemish level, "De Ambrassade" is a good example regarding youth engagement.
There is a need to establish a participation organization.
Nothing needs to disappear permanently, but something should replace it.
Direct dialogue, like tonight, is important.
Proposal: Consultation with the Welfare Department.