MUGUR VĂRZARIU, ROMANIA
ROMANIA: TARGET ROMA
In the opinion of Romanian photographer Mugur Vărzariu, the worst you can do to yourself and the world is to be ignorant in the face of obvious injustice. The photos he took of the appalling conditions in which the Roma in his country have to live, reflect the enormous amount of commitment and empathy of his work. They show Baia Mare, a town in the northwest of Romania, and they are representative for many regions in Romania.
In the difficult free market after the collapse of the communist system, the country is looking for a scapegoat for all its disappointment. The unconventional lifestyle of the Roma is a welcome target for hatred and exclusion. Serious attacks on people and property have become common practice. The huts of the Roma are demolished and they are often forced to relocate to settlements without water and electricity, located in the vicinity of landfills or sewage plants. Many Roma still live in constant fear and danger.
This social reality is in stark contrast to the legal security provided by the Romanian constitution in 1991, which states that all Romanian citizens have equal rights “without any discrimination on the basis of race, nationality, ethnic origin, language, religion, sex, personal opinion, political affiliation, property or social origin”.

© Mugur Varzariu/Freelance Photographer
Curriculum Vitae: Mugur Varzariu
