Deportations of Romani people to Transnistria

In the camps the imprisoned people were used as slave labour, and witnesses described the conditions as abysmal, with many dying from exposure and starvation.

The results estimated 208,700 people of Romani ethnicity, out of whom the ones without fixed residence and those deemed "dangerous" - for example those who had previous criminal convictions or even those who were jobless - fell under the criteria for deportation.

[2] According to researcher Shannon Woodcock the vague labelling of "nomadic" and "non-nomadic dangerous Țigani" by the authorities created confusion in the ranks of Romanian police, some of whom miss-identified travelling Kaldarari, Fierari (iron smiths) and other Romani subgroups as nomadic, even though they were only itinerant in summer in order to sell their goods.

Most gendarmerie branches refused to declare any "nomadic or dangerous" Romani in their jurisdiction, prompting the central authorities to call them and insist on providing numbers.

[3] Starting from September 1942, 3 months after the deportation of Jews to Transnistria, more than 13,000 sedentary Romani people were transported by train to the same region, while the remaining - almost equal number - of travellers had to use their own wagons.