Romani people in Finland

This article is about all Romani groups in Finland. For the subgroup, see Finnish Kale.

Not to be confused with Romanians in Finland who are people from Romania.

Romani people in Finland

Finnish: Suomen romanit [a]
Total population
10,000 to 12,000 (2011)
Languages
Finnish, Romani (especially Finnish Kalo), Romanian, Bulgarian

As of 2011, Finland has a Romani population of approximately 10,000 to 12,000. ^[1] Most Romani people in Finland (Finnish : Suomen romanit) ^[a] belong to the Kaale subgroup and had settled in Finland at the end of the sixteenth century. Finnish Roma mostly live in Finland's urban areas. Although some of Finland's Romani community still speak Kalo Romani, most Finnish Roma just speak only Finnish. In 1995, an amendment to the 1919 Constitution had granted the Romani people, Sámi people and other Finnish minorities, the right to retain and develop their own language and culture in Finland. The Finnish Kalo language has the status of a non-territorial minority language in Finland. Finland's Romani community are also recognized as a national minority under the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. ^[2]

Romani migrants from Romania and Bulgaria have settled in Southern Finland. ^[3]

Romani people first came to Finland from Sweden, Baltic countries and Russia during the 16th century. ^[4]

According to the Council of Europe, approximately 11,000 Romani people live in Finland (0.21% of the population). ^[5]

Romani people in Finland were spared from being killed by the Nazis. ^[6] The first record of Romani people in the mainland dates back to 1580. The Romani population grew in Finland in the 1600s, with Roma immigration occurring from the east and Sweden. A Swedish law in 1637, which also applied to Finland, stated that all Romani people should be banished and hanged, but this law was ineffective. ^[7]

Notes

1. "Suomen romanit" is also used of the Finnish Kale subgroup.

References

1. "Promoting the social inclusion of Roma". europa.eu.
2. "Roma. Historical context". Minority Rights Group. 19 June 2015.
3. "The Roma Community in Latvia". rm.coe.int.
4. "Finland´s Romani People" (PDF).
5. "Finland - European Commission". commission.europa.eu. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
6. Rozett, Dr Robert; Spector, Dr Shmuel (26 November 2013). Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-135-96957-8.
7. Kenrick, Donald (5 July 2007). Historical Dictionary of the Gypsies (Romanies). Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. ISBN   978-0-8108-6440-5.