THE ISSUE of Roma statelessness should be urgently addressed and stateless Roma around the Europe needed to be protected from severe and continuous violation of their human rights, said Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a press statement in from the US. 

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that access of stateless to health services, employment, education, property ownership and travel was severely restricted and they faced detention and inability to obtain identity papers. They were denied the most basic of rights and were vulnerable to trafficking.

Leaders of various religions/denominations, including His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, should also come forward and advocate on behalf of stateless Roma and highlight their plight as religions told us to help the helpless, Zed stated.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says “statelessness refers to the condition of an individual who is not considered as a national by any state”.