Romanies in Italy: from national 'emergency' to national 'strategy' in Rome's Campi Nomadi

This dissertation deals with the social exclusion of Romanies in Italy. It focuses on the condition of those living in ‘nomad camps’ in Rome and on the recent implementation of a state of emergency to address this issue. This study provides an investigation of the interactions between Romanies, local institutions and Third Sector organisations. It reveals the existence of a deeply rooted mechanism of marginalisation – the ‘camps system’—, in which corruption, lack of transparency and antagonisms between a variety of competing actors have contributed to reify and crystallise the Romani condition. This thesis also uncovers significant practices of resistance within the camps.