On 21st October 2014, the Parliament of Romania introduced law no 143 of October 21, 2014 for the amendment of the Government Ordinance No. 105/1999 regarding the granting of rights to the persons persecuted by the regimes installed in Romania beginning with September 6, 1940 until March 6, 1945 on ethnic grounds No. 143, which stipulates that persons who were persecuted due to ethnicity under regimes installed in Romania during the period of 6th September 1940 through to 6th March 1945 will be eligible to receive a monthly pension as compensation effective 3rd November 2014. This legislation incorporates all victims of persecution and their widows – regardless of whether or not they currently reside in Romania – with the pension amount dependent upon the type and length of persecution. According to the law, persons who were interned in detention centres or concentration camps – included those who were deported to such facilities abroad – will receive a month pension equivalent to 250 Lei (roughly €56) for each year of detention. Victims of involuntary displacement or forced labour will each receive a monthly pension equivalent to 200 Lei (roughly €45) per year of displacement or forced labour. Survivors of the so-called ‘Death Trains’ are each entitled to a monthly pension of 200 Lei (roughly €45). Living spouses of those who would otherwise qualified for one of the aforementioned categories will be entitled to a monthly pension of 150 Lei (roughly €34), payable from the first day of the month in which they submit their application for the pension.
The European Shoah Legacy Institute would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Romanian Government on its new initiative, and hopes that it will act as a notable example for other countries in furtherance of the obligations contained in the Terezin Declaration.
To see a full unofficial translation please click on Law 143 of October 21 2014