Monthly Archives: April 2013

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26.04.2013 The Rroma, the EU and the Freedom of Movement

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Plüss (2013) reports on the plans of several EU member states – and also of Switzerland – to restrict the movement of persons in Europe. This freedom of movement allowed people, so far without a work permit, to settle in another state and to pursue an occupation and to a certain extent receive social benefits. The EU criticized the plans of Germany, Austria, the UK and the Netherlands, who want to clamp down on so-called poverty immigrants from Eastern Europe. From the perspective of the relevant EU Commission, mass immigration is a politicised perception of the concerned countries, but not a statistical reality in itself. The EU also has been working for several years on its own strategy to prevent the feared Westwards migration from Eastern Europe. It strives to better integrate ethnic groups such as Rroma in their home countries. However, many involved parties question the success of these ventures.

Kopeinig / Kramar (2013) report on a heated atmosphere on this debate in Berlin and Vienna. The interior ministers of Germany, Austria, the UK and the Netherlands complain about the abuse of the welfare by poor immigrants, who are frequently Rroma. The ministers of Germany and Austria, Hans-Peter Friedrich and Johanna Mikl-Leitner are currently in the middle of an election campaign and thus request in this regard a clear distinction between the treatment of nationals and immigrants. Even the conservative press in the UK warns against a mass immigration of Rroma from Eastern Europe, an immigration whose factuality is but hard to establish. In addition, the one-dimensional abuse of social welfare that is talked about is to be questioned. The contexts behind such migration as well as the sources and facts of the migration numbers are too little discussed.

In the still ongoing debate in Germany about the feared mass immigration from Romania and Bulgaria, the first concrete actions are being taken. Berlin’s integration commissioner Monika Lüke confirmed the plans of the capital to provide emergency shelter for up to 100 homeless immigrants. The city government wants to forestall the exploitation of immigrants by landlords, respectively prevent them from their questionable practices of high rents, low quality abodes. Integration Senator Dikel Kolat also adopted a so-called “Action Plan Roma”. There are already 160 welcoming classes for Rroma children to prepare their integration into German schools with a strong focus on German language courses. The planned shelters are part of the action plan. Resistance against this project is increasing. The City Council Carsten Engelmann for social affairs commented negatively against the plans, fearing that current local tenants and landlords would be negatively impacted or even forced to leave (Thomsen 2013).

Loy (2013) added further to the subject by pointing out that Kolat plans transition home for foreign newcomers whose financing it still pending. He also states that many Rroma have had bad experiences with government bodies and administration and thus have reservations in engaging with authorities. The Senator responsible for integration earnestly hopes on the successful integration of Rroma children through professional training programs. She also denies the controversy surrounding the welfare abuse. 80% of Romanians and Bulgarians in Berlin are employed and thus entitled to receive social security benefits.

Siebert (2013) presents an interview with Benjamin Marx, a representative of the organisation “Aachen Siedlungs- und Wohnungsgesellschaft” which works on the integration of immigrant Rroma. In the Berlin district of Neukölln, there are 600 Rroma families, most from Fântânele in Romania. Marx travelled to Fântânele to get an idea of ​​the life there. Life there offers few prospects and poor educational opportunities, which is why the migration to Germany is associated with hopes for a better future. Marx seems itself also not entirely free from prejudices. He is quoted with a statement bordering on defamation: “It is hard to imagine a situation in which families of Gypsies would be able to live in a good neighbourhood with someone else. Among them, own groupings emerge, they ‘arrange things’, ‘promise stay in Germany’, for which they ask for money.” Such statements are an unnecessary generalisation and one-dimensional representation of members of an ethnic group that can only be described as stupid. Especially the statement that Rroma are not be able to live together with other people can only be described as racist. Marx also questions the sense of the inclusion of Romania and Bulgaria in the EU. This was a terrible mistake, because the countries were not yet ready for it. Siebert leaves this statement without comments and therefore adds to the overall strangeness of this article, which can only be described as one-sided.

The Cologne City Gazette (2013) reports on defamatory statements of Cardinal Joachim Meisner against Rroma from Slovenia. He is referring to Rroma as not able to inegrate, and to Rroma families as having many children. The Cologne social critic Günther Wallraff sharply criticises these statements in the article. Meisner’s remarks reminds “of the propaganda from other times aimed directly at the forced sterilisation of women of so-called anti-social child-rich families.” In this Wallraff refers of course to the systematic destruction of Rroma under the Nazis, where they were branded as anti-social.

Christine Langenfeld, chairman of the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration, is committed to the successful integration of immigrant Rroma. There is a need for a successful mediator between immigrants, political authorities and local communities. She also engages herself to prevent the formation of lawless areas within economy, something that affects Rroma in particular. The Rroma have a right to protection by the law, since the EU is not only a domestic market but also a community of values ​​is (German Turkish News 2013).

Lehner (2013) reports on a podium discussion in Salzburg, where the correspondent and author Mappes-Niediek and the writer Karl-Markus Gauss debated on the impoverishment of Eastern Europe. Mappes-Niediek criticised the economic policies of Western European and international business leaders who have contributed with their massive measures to impoverishment of broad sections of the population in Southeast Europe. The EU needs to primarily promote local economies and not waste too much energy on poorly engineered social policies. The writer Gauss severely criticised the European banking sector, which consumed lots of tax money, thus preventing these funds from being used to boost the labour market. Mappes-Niediek also pointed to a little-known fact. Until the mid 19th century, Rroma in Romania were treated as slaves: “Roma were completely subjugated for many centuries, not even owning their own bodies. Families were torn apart, their members are sold separately. This influences the current situation, as they never possessed land, land that they could have passed by inheritance.” He also points to the deterioration of the situation since the fall of the Eastern Bloc. Previously many Rroma were working, albeit poorly paid. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the employment crisis means that unemployment increased massively. This impoverishment for many Rroma meant a return and a reliance on traditional economic and life forms, which often are no longer appropriate.

In Freiburg, 500 people demonstrated against the forced deportation of approximately 60 Rroma from Germany. The demonstration was organized by the action group “the right to stay”, against the deportation policy of the red-green government (Badische Zeitung 2013).

Bochtler (2013) reports on a Rroma family in Freiburg, which is affected by the deportation policy. The Sacipis family has successfully integrated, all family members go for a job, but now finds itself faced with deportation. Local activists are fighting for a more sensitive approach with members of the minorities and demand that one considers the history of German Roma policy in this question. The outcome of the conflict remains unclear for the time being.

Sources:

  • Badische Zeitung (2013) 500 Demonstranten protestieren gegen Roma-Abschiebung. In: Badische Zeitung vom 21.4.2013. 
  • Bochtler, Anja (2013) Etlichen Roma-Familien in Freiburg drohen Abschiebungen. In: Badische Zeitung vom 19.4.2013.
  • Deutsch Türkische Nachrichten (2013) SVR-Vorsitzende: Roma-Zuwanderung stellt Kommunen vor eine grosse Herausvorderung. In: Deutsch Türkische Nachrichten vom 23.4.2013.
  • Kölner-Stadtanzeiger (2013) Günter Wallraff kritisiert Meisner. In: Kölner-Stadtanzeiger vom 23.4.2013.
  • Kopeinig, Margaretha/Kramar Konrad (2013) Roma: Angst vor der importierten Armut. In: Der Kurier vom 26.4.2013.
  • Lehner, Gerhard (2013) Armut unter Roma: Schwere Kritik an EU. In: ORF vom 22.4.2013.
  • Loy, Thomas (2013) Senat plant Hilfe für die Roma. In: Der Tagesspiegel vom 23.4.2013.  
  • Plüss, Mirko (2013) Ventilklausel einmal anders rum. In: Tages-Anzeiger vom 25.4.2013.
  • Siebert, Armin (2013) Integration von Sinti und Roma in Deutschland: “Harzer Straße ist keine Lösung”. In: Stimme Russlands vom 23.4.2013.
  • Thomsen, Jan (2013) Notbleiben für Familien. In: Berliner Zeitung vom 26.4.2013. 
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26.04.2013 Rroma Policy in France

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Atlantico (2013) reports on the latest undertakings of the right-wing opposition politician Marie Le Pen, who gave a press conference in front of a Rroma camp in an industrial zone in the French department of Essonne. The leader of the National Front emphasised that, should she be elected, she would eliminate all Rroma camps. She also criticised the center and left parties for opening France to eastern EU countries, leading to a de facto abolition of borders. She stated she would organise a referendum that will lead to the end of the European Union.

According to La Dépêche (2013), some residents of the Rroma camp approached the crowds of journalists. But there were no public exchange between Le Pen and the Rroma. La Dépêche estimates that currently about 20,000 Rroma are live in around 400 informal camps in France. The pastor Frédéric Gatineau wanted to show the settlement to Le Pen.  However, she quickly left the area reflecting he entrenched prejudices against Rroma. Gatineau stated: “Je pense que si elle rencontrait ces personnes, elle aurait peut-être un autre discours. […] Je pense qu’elle aurait été bien reçue. Ils ne pas la connaissent spécialement, ils n’ont pas d’a priori … J’étais prêt à l’accompagner mais elle est partie vite bien dans sa belle voiture noire. “ [I think that had she met people, she would maybe have held another discourse. I think she would have been well received. They do not know her and thus have no pre-conceived ideas about her … I was ready to go with her, but he left really fast in her nice black car]

Rotman (2013) emphasizes in his article that Le Pen defends her position without blinking. She argues that she doesn’t stigmatize anybody, that she speaks of the reality that no one dare to mention. That Le Pen doesn’t want to meet the people who are behind this reality itself says a lot about her understanding of reality. Her position is the result of her convictions, beliefs and values, not of social reality.

In “Les Berges du Va” in Nice, an illegal Romany camp will be evacuated. The head of the district, Eric Ciotti, argues for the removal refererring to the public health and public safety. Opponents counter this by saying that many of the local children were successfully enrolled in school and that to vacate the settlement is a step backwards on the integration of Rroma. On the question of where the Rroma will go after the eviction, Ciotti answers that this is the responsibility of the government. The judgment of the court on the eviction is expected in  the next two weeks (Binacchi 2013).

In Bobigny, near Paris, a fire destroyed part of a Rroma camp with about 250 residents. The cause of the fire is unclear. Several barracks were destroyed. Investigations, whether it was an arson act are running. Since January 2013, over 1000 Rroma in twelve different localities  had to leave their camps because of fires or pogroms A political motivation behind the numerous fires is therefore not unlikely (Libération 2013).

In Lyon, ten Rroma families who were evicted from an illegal settlement, benefit from Catholic Care. The priest Matthieu Thouvenot decreed that the parish of Gerland should provide food and shelter to 50 Rroma from the disbanded settlement, half of them children. The local church hall was converted for this purpose into  housing. The local court ruled a few days later that the prefecture should find permanent settlement for the evicted Rroma or pay for a compensation of 75 euro per person and per day. In the district near Gerland there is a tradition of Catholic charity. Representatives of the church are seeking dialogue with the French Ministry of the Interior, arguing that the situation of Rroma needs to be viewed and managed in a more differentiated way (Schittly 2013).

Sources:

  • Atlantico (2013) Marine Le Pen : elle prône les démantèlements massifs devant un camp de Roms. In: Atlantico vom 26.4.2013. 
  • Binacchi, Fabien (2013) Les Roms installés sur les berges menacés d’expulsion. In: 20minutes France vom 23.4.2013.
  • La Dépêche (2013) Devant un camp de Roms, Marine Le Pen promet «le renvoi de tous les clandestins». In: La Dépêche vom 26.4.2013.
  • Libération (2013) Un incendie d’atelier se propage à un camp rom à Bobigny, 250 évacués. In: Libération vom 25.4.2013.
  • Rotman (2013) Marine Le Pen en plan com devant un camp rom. In: Libération vom 26.4.2013.
  • Schittly, Richard (2013) Les catholiques de Lyon au secours des Roms sans abri. In: Le Monde vom 22.4.2013.

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26.04.2013 Rroma in the UK

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A one-sided article from the Daily Mail (2013) reports on the eviction of a Rroma settlement in Meriden, Warwickshire. The settlement, referred by the authors as being illegal, was subject to disputes between Rroma and local residents who formed a local movement against the settlement and have been active in court for the last three years. The competent court issued a ruling in favour of the residents and to the misfortune of the local Rroma. According to the article they had legally purchased the land for £ 100,000 from a businessman. Why the settlement is referred to by the journalists as illegal remains unclear. It is, however, explained that the planning applications submitted were rejected for fixed caravans. The residents organized blockades to make it impossible for the Rroma to enter the settlement or at least to hinder them. Many of the now displaced Rroma had to resign from their employment because they have nowhere to live. Some of them set a caravan on fire as a protest before leaving the place. In the appendix of the article there is a series of comments about the outcome of the process, a large majority of which can be considered to be racist.

The head of the family – Noah Burton – will try to sell the land again (BBC 2013). Capelo (2013) suggests, in contrast to the other articles, that the land was an agricultural parcel and not one for settlements.

Sources:

  • BBC (2013) Last Gypsy family leaves illegal Meriden site. In: BBC News vom 21.4.2013.
  • Capello, Esh (2013) Meriden gypsies start fires at illegal camp before departing. In: Birmingham Post vom 19.4.2013.
  • Daily Mail (2013) Gypsies move out of illegal camp after THREE YEAR battle with villagers… but not before they started a few fires and burned a caravan. In: Daily Mail (UK) vom 20.4.2013. 
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26.04.2013 Rroma in Quebec

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Larouche (2013) reports on the fate of some one hundred Rroma from Romania, some of which are refugees, some who, in part – it is claimed – were sent to Quebec as part of a criminal network for, among other things, thefts. With international coordination, a Rroma settlement in Craiova was raider by the police, and the alleged instigators of this network were arrested. These people had an intricate knowledge of the Quebec apparently due to having been there on organized the crime trips. According to the Canadian investigators, some of those migrants only became criminal only after their arrival due to debt. Respondents said to have become delinquent because of poverty and because of social exclusion.

The Rroma Contact Point would like to emphasize that while the existence of criminal networks is not to deny, these have nothing to do with the Rroma identity per se. Thisis exactly the error that many journalists repeatedly commit when they report on Rroma.

Source:

  • Larouche, Vincent (2013) Des criminels parmi les réfugiés: la filière rom. In: La Presse (Canadien) vom 24.4.2013. 
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26.04.2013 Criticism of the U.S. State Department on Hungary’s Minority Policy

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Pester Lloyd (2013) reports on the subdued reaction of the Hungarian government on the U.S. State Department report on the human rights situation in Hungary. The government criticised the report as flawed and prejudiced. The report criticises the continued discrimination against Rroma in access to educational institutions and to the labour market. In addition, nothing was done against the regular parades of right-wing groups in 2012 in Rroma settlements. The Hungarian State Secretary Kovaks criticised the report on the basis that it considers the problems of the Hungarian state only “on the basis of human rights.”

Source:

  • Pester Lloyd (2013) Ungarn weist US-Kritik an Romapolitik zurück, Start gemeinsamer Roma-Projekte mit Deutschland. In: Pester Lloyd vom 22.4.2013. 
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19.04.2013 The Roma Image Studio

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The exhibition “The Roma Image Studio” in Berlin-Neukölln tackles the representation of Rroma in contemporary media. To this end, photographs and sculptures going image beyond the usual clichés are presented. Exhibition curator, André J. Raatzsch, emphasizes the importance of a critical audience, who, when viewing pejorative, romanticized and differentiated representation of Rroma can identify the latter and assess these as appropriate. The exhibition is part of the European cultural initiative. “Romanistan: Crossing Spaces in Europe”.

Source:

– Berlinonline (2013) Vernissage: “The Roma Image Studio”. In: Berlinonline vom 15.4.2013. 

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19.04.2013 The History of Sufferings of Sinti and Roma

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Stankiewitz (2013) reports on the still poorly acknowledged destruction of Rroma under National Socialism. In the centre he presents the now eighty years old Hugo Höllenreiner, who is one of the few survivors of this crime of the State. Speaking at a memorial in the Munich town hall, Höllenreiner calls the horrors of the past back to life. About half a million Rroma were victims of systematic extermination policies of the National Socialists. Food for thoughts is the fact that theses crimes were only very insufficiently investigated. Stankiewitz emphasizes the often misinterpreted fact that the apparent wandering of the Rroma is not a willed way of life, but rather is the result from the fact that they were not allowed to settle anywhere. Forced to constantly wander, the stereotype of the vagabond Rroma was created. He notes:

It is certain in any case that the immigrant groups and extended families – like the Jews – were not allowed to settle, and he could only exercise certain professions. Thus, the stereotypes of the eternally wandering, nomadic, asocial, or the “free, funny gypsy life” were created. A kitschy representation in art, literature, film and operetta (“The Gypsy Baron”) which is maintained to this day.

At the end of the 19th Century, a systematic monitoring service on Rroma was established. The former police director Alfred Dillmann even set up a “Gypsy Police”, which was to be dedicated on the “containment of dangerous vagrancy”. In inflammatory articles published in the March 1912, “The Gypsy plague”, Rroma were accused of introducing epidemics and of terrorist activities. In Bavaria, in 1926, the “Gypsy and work-avoiders” laws, which among other things criminalised the “travel in hordes” were introduced. Besides this, however, there were always well integrated Rroma who were valued and respected in their professions,   mostly artisanal ones.

With the rise of the Nazis, the systematic criminalization of the Rroma in Germany began. Eugenicists such as Josef Mengele measured the physiognomy of members of the Rroma and presented abstruse theories of racial inferiority and relationships between physique and behaviour. Rroma were identified black triangles, the Rroma equivalent of the Jewish star,  and branded as anti-social and deported to concentration camps. After the war reparation were not paid, as it was claimed that no racial persecution had existed. Databases on travellers were continued well after the War and only disbanded in the 1970s. Stankiewitz concludes:

After the war, the persecuted Sinti and Roma had no political advocates in contrast to other groups of victims. The Höllreiner family, those who survived, were never compensated for their stolen property and for the time in camps. A reparation was out of the question after the Federal Court in 1956 decided that deportations of Rroma were not a racial persecution, but a “crime-preventive measure”.

Source:

  • Stankiewitz, Karl (2013) Es begann in Bayern. Vom Leidensweg der Sinti und Roma. In: Kulturvollzug vom 15.4.2013. 
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19.04.2013 Silence about one’s Origins

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Nadine Michollek (2013) from the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reported on the many young Rroma in Germany who conceal their origins. Reasons for this concealment are deeply rooted in the prejudices of the majority towards Rroma, which make it all but impossible to speak about one’s origins. Many fear the loss of jobs, friends or customers. For Michollek, the negative perceptions and some romanticized stereotypes come from movies, operas, and especially media reports. Michollek further exposes the problem of well integrated and of marginalized Rroma. A first group of Rroma arrived already 600 years ago in Germany. The Sinti make most of their descendants. Already during the German Empire, the Weimar Republic and later under the Nazis, they were victims of exclusionary policies. Michollek sees the Sinti as excluded from the labour market whereas immigrants from the 1960s arriving from Yugoslavia, Spain, or Turkey, are described as successfully integrated in the labour market, a statement that must be questioned. Sinti tend to demarcate themselves from newer immigrants which speaks against this statement. The testimony of a young Rromni who explains the problem of silence as follows should provoke some thinking:

Sometimes I’m worried about my apprenticeship. At my workplace, I would not tell anyone that I’m a Gypsy woman. I was afraid that if something is missing, I would be made responsible, that people say, maybe it was so, that is indeed one of those. […] There are just too many prejudices, for example, that we steal and lie. My boyfriend and my best friend know. But many of my friends have spoken in front of me negatively on Roma and Sinti, and I just do not want them to think wrong about me.

Source:

  • Michollek, Nadine (2011) Schweigen über die Herkunft. In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger vom 27.10.2011. 
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19.04.2013 Rroma in Lausanne

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Maspoli (2013) reports on an elderly woman in Lausanne, who, during the cold winter months, supplied a Rroma family living in the street for 35 days with clothing and food. The pensioner was worried about the family, consisting of the parents, two sons and a pregnant daughter in law. After about a month, in December, the family told the pensioner that they wanted to go back to Romania and broke off all contacts. A month later, the woman discovered the family begging in the city centre, again in poor clothes. She feels betrayed. A friend of her had also given money to the family, money that had been used to repay debt to a usurer in Romania and for paying the smugglers for the travel between Romania and Switzerland.

The article is written in a very one-sided manner and presents an unbalanced view on Rroma, representing them as sneaky and unreliable. Such articles contribute to the negative view of society on Rroma and can only be described as unfortunate.

Bourgeoise (2013) reports on the views of the organization Opre Rrom that questions the existence of beggar networks among Rroma. Money earned begging is very rarely handed to mafia-like networks, and is rather intended for their own families in Eastern Europe. The debate about Rroma networks is similar to the current discussions in Germany about Rroma kings and strong self-oppression among the Rroma. The UDC party in Vaud is starting an initiative to criminalize begging in almost all areas in Lausanne. Motivation for the ban is the belief that the Rroma beggars are part of organized criminal networks that one does not want to support.

Sources:

  • Bourgeoise, Lise (2013) «Les Roms de Lausanne ne font pas partie d’un réseau». In: 24heures vom 8.4.2013.
  • Maspoli, Philippe (2013) «J’ai aidé des Roms et j’ai le sentiment d’avoir été arnaquée» In: 24heures vom 19.4.2013. 
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19.04.2013 Rroma Debate in Germany

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In the context of the ongoing debate in Germany about Rroma,  DerWesten (2013) reports about the Rroma situation in the Balkans. In the course of the debate, some centre-right politicians have expressed the fear that large crowds of poverty migrants from Romania and Bulgaria would flood Germany. Key to the debate discussion on the freedom of establishment between Germany and the new EU member states Romania and Bulgaria due to come in force at the beginning of 2014. The journalist visited the Rroma settlement of Fakulteta in the Bulgarian capital Sofia. He presents the common image of misery in a suburban ghetto where there is much suffering and little prospects for the future. He cites young men looking for better living conditions in Western Europe, mainly in because they are marginalized in Bulgaria itself, and often cannot engage in any remunerated work. The Rroma settlement is also misused by local business as an illegal landfill, where they unload their trash next to the houses and huts of the Rroma. In addition, lack of sanitation leads to disease, especially among children. The journalist asks about the truth of the feared mass immigration due to poverty and concludes that it is not the case, referring to the low numbers of migrants quoted by the European Union and the Central Council of German Sinti and Rroma.

Neverthelss, the journalist of DerWesten fails to paint a differentiated picture of Rroma in the Balkans. He also falls into the pitfall of misery stereotypes and the portrayal of a parallel world. At the end, he tells of his encounter with a Rrom who runs a transport company, and who is angry at the lack of representation of integrated Rroma in the media. This remains a marginal statement in this article otherwise dominated by a presentation of misery:

The sun is slowly setting on Fakulteta. […] Some men are standing in a circle around two fighting dogs. With shouts, they fire the dogs and they pounce on each other head-on. For foreigners it seems required to leave the this place with the incoming darkness. Almost 400 kilometres to the northwest, right in the middle of the Serbian capital Belgrade, one finds the notorious Roma settlement of Belvil. There are no brick and mortar houses, no cars, no horses. Only crooked huts made of everything that can be found. And tons of waste.

Source:

  • DerWesten (2013) Niemand will sie haben. – Reise zu den Roma auf dem Balkan. In: DerWesten vom 17.4.2013. 
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19.04.2013 Relocation of Rroma Settlement in France

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20minutes (2013) reports on the relocation of illegal Roma settlement. The inhabitants, who, according to the newspaper, managed to settle down successfully in the new location, criticized the lack of cooperation from the authorities. There was a clear discrepancy between the promises of the politicians and the executing officials. The cooperative Latcho Rom stated: „[On regrette]  décalage entre le discours du maire et l’application par le service qui gère les campements. On ne comprend pas le temps que ça nécessite pour faire quelque chose qu’on a envie de faire“. [We regret the discrepancy between the mayor’ statements and the execution by the service responsible for the settlements.  We do not understand the time it takes to achieve something we all want to do.]

Leclerc (2013) reports on the resettlement of Roma families in Ris-Orangis, a suburb of Paris. The prefect responsible must appear in court as when clearing this Rroma settlement, he went against EU law. Accordingly the law, the Prefect should have provided alternative lodgings for the victims and an overall socially acceptable solution, but that did not happen. If the ruling goes against the mayor, the state will be forced to pay the affected people 75 Euro per day and person. At the same time, the mayor of Mont d’Hautmont, Joël Wilmotte protested vehemently against the plan to build a Roma settlement in his district.

In the Rhone-Alpes region, the local Ombudsman Jean-François Carenco was condemned by a judgment of the Court of Lyon, on April 4th, to find a re-accommodation for evicted Rroma. He had previously preferred to pay 75 euro per day as compensation instead of finding them a proper accommodation. In the first three months of 2013, about four thousand Rroma in France were forced to leave their homes due to foreclosures and about a thousand because of aggression against their houses or because of fires (Le Monde, 2013).

Midi Libre (2013) give the conservative Marie Le Pen a voice: The losing presidential candidate criticized the French government for his Rroma policy. The state is being blackmailed by Rroma who are deliberately setting their settlements on fire to get new houses and lodging from the state for free. This representation of Ms. Le Pen can only be described as absurd and racist. The Rroma have no interest to discriminate against themselves and chases themselves away.

France 3 (2013) reports on the forced resettlement of Rroma in Fontaine. The affected families had previously wintered in mobile homes provided for free that are now dismantled. The families were not informed of the impending removal of the containers and now have problems to organize new accommodations on the fly. Three of them were sent to hospital in Grenoble, where they are seeking asylum, more in the direction of l’Isle d’Abeau. Most of them do not want to leave the temporary living quarters.

Vincent (2013) reported on the controversial and contradictory attitude of the French state towards the Rroma communities in France. The Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has written a position paper that requires the reduction of forced evictions of Rroma settlements,  a paper signed by seven other ministers. With the end of the winter grace period at the end of March, the problem of the settlements will now again be a key topic. The debate in the position paper focuses on the question of the integration of Rroma. A decree requires the prefects wanting to evict Rroma settlement to send qualified personnel to evaluate the integration “potential” of the local Rroma. This should avoid violent evictions without successful relocation or at least reduce them to a minimum. The application of the new procedure varied quite a lot. Sometimes the evaluation had been made, sometimes not, and sometimes right before the evictions. The diagnosis should allow to better integrate individual Rroma in the workforce and in public institutions. Liberal find the focus on Rroma exaggerated and one-sided. Others ask for more patience and money regarding the successful integration of Rroma, which could take many years to complete and thus state that for that very reason, such settlements should be tolerated. A third group considers it imperative to evict the Rroma and clear the settlements in order to force Rroma to a faster respect of municipal laws.

Besse (2013) reported of a trial in a school in Madeleine to introduce a class for non-scholarised Rroma children. The plan was met neither by a categorical rejection nor by open enthusiasm on the parents’ side. However, two leading local politicians disagree. The school administration is decidedly for the introduction of a class and thus hopes to contribute to a better integration of this ethnic group. The school administration declared:

La direction a souhaité rassurer les parents présents, qui ont pu faire part de leurs inquiétudes, et a rappelé que tout enfant présent sur le sol français avait droit à une scolarisation, explique le groupement. Cette classe d’insertion peut être une chance pour apprendre à connaître l’autre et mieux vivre ensemble. Nous remercions la direction de sa participation à cette réunion. [The school director would like to reassure the present parents who had the opportunity to share their concerns, and stated that every child present on French soil was entitled to an education, says the group. This insertion class can be a chance to get to know each other better and live together. We thank the management of its participation in this meeting.]

Sources:

  • France 3 (2013) Fin de trêve hivernale : Les associations dénoncent les conditions de “déménagement” des Roms de Fontaine. In: France 3 vom 16.4.2013.
  • Ighirri, Alexia (2013) Du mieux pour les Roms, mais… In: 20minutes France vom 18.4.2013. 
  • Le Monde (2013) Le préfet du Rhône se résout à reloger les Roms expulses. In: Le Monde vom 10.4.2013.
  • Leclerc, Jean-Marc (2013) Les préfets contraints de reloger les Roms. In: Le Figaro vom 14.4.2013.
  • Midi Libre (2013) Marine Le Pen reproche à nouveau à l’Etat de se laisser abuser par les Roms. In: Midi Libre vom 17.4.2013.
  • Vincent, Elise (2013) Schizophrénie gouvernementale sur les Roms. In: Le Monde vom 6.4.2013. 
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19.04.2013 Police Violence against Rroma in Hungary

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The prosecutor of the southern Hungarian Baranya County counts five suits of local Rroma against the police. The plaintiffs accuse the police of Sellye to have beaten them during interrogations and extorted confessions out of them. The complaints of the Rroma have been made possible only through the support of lawyers of the St. Martin – Caritas Foundation. In addition, the prosecutor himself was sued for failing to act (Pester Lloyd, 2013).

Source:

  • Pester Lloyd (2013) Polizeigewalt gegen Roma in Ungarn: Anwälte erstreiten Ermittlungen. In: Pester Lloyd vom 16.4.2013. 
Albania News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

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The Rroma civil society launched a petition against the derogatory reporting on Rroma in the Albanian media. Repeatedly, pejorative terms such as “cigan” or “Gabi” were used, which denotes a blatant lack of respect towards Rroma. Despite the centuries-old presence of Rroma in Albania, their holistic integration and acceptance by the majority of society is still not a reality. The petition is available under the following link:

URL: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/ndal-gjuhes-ofenduese-ndaj-romëve-ne-media.html

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19.04.2013 Open racism against Rroma “Seniorenbund” Calendar

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The paper “die Presse” (2013) reports on overt racism in the calendar of the Upper Austrian Federal Association of Retired people of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP). The paper warns senior citizens about the dangers of relatives impersonators. It states that: “offenders are mainly members of the Roma and Sinti. […] This ethnic group is very ruthless, exploiting their victims often up to the economic destruction of their existence.” A concerned citizen filed a complaint for incitation of racial hatred. A spokesperson of the Austrian People’s Party Association apologized for the inadequate representation, but justified the statement by noting that the wording had been taken unedited from straight the police. Sarközi Andreas, Head of the Cultural Association of Austrian Roma, denounced the formulation as a “stereotypical, racist and discriminatory” (the Press, 2013).

The problem of this racist formulation, in addition to their obvious incompatibility with Anti-Semitisms regulations, is that thousands of seniors receive this calendar and are therefore influenced by this one-sided picture of the Rroma. The authors of the contributions for this  calendar are not named, but the calendar is issued under the joint authorship of the Association of the Upper Austrian SAeniors, who thus bear the responsibility for the inappropriate statements (stone Lechner 2013).

Sources:

  • Die Presse (2013) Seniorenbund-Kalender: ‘Roma und Sinti sind skrupellos’. In: DiePresse.com vom 18.4.2013.
  • Steinlechner, Daniel (2013) Roma-Hetze bei ÖVP. In: News.at vom 18.4.2013. 
France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

19.04.2013 Anina Ciuciu: A Gypsy woman fights against Stereotypes

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Courrèges (2013) tells the story the Gypsy woman Anina Cuiciu who is completing a study in law at the Sorbonne University. Cuicui has written a book about the life as a Gypsy woman. She now spends her time with the promotion of her book and learns for exams. In the book she writes about the stigma that they she experienced as a Rromni, Rroma being said to be dirty in school, and thus, they all kept their identity secret. She was born in Craiova in Romania. Her father lost his job due to a denunciation. After losing his job, her father saw no future for himself and his family in Romania. Followed the migration to France, a time of uncertainty and transition, without any solid structures. With the award of a ten-year right to stay and after a successful high school exam, Ciuciu gained confidence. Due to the injustices she experienced, she decided to study law and to write a book about her life. With its publication she wants to contribute t to the deconstruction of the negative stereotypes on Rroma and help them develop a positive self-image.

Source:

  • Courrèges, Emmanuelle (2013) Anina Ciuciu : une Rom contre les clichés. In: Elle (fr) vom 12.4.2013. 
Germany News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Serbia

12.04.2013 Travel Ban for Serbian Rroma

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The TAZ reported on Rroma families in Belgrade who want to try their luck in Germany or have already done it and were expelled back. Jacob (2013) visited the families in the slums around Belgrade. He represents the common image of misery: Lots of waste, high unemployment, misery, little or no prospects for the future. Ajrija Demir already tried twice her luck in Germany. A total of seven years she lived there and had to leave again twice. Since the EU threatened Serbia to reintroduce a visa requirement, controls at the borders against potential asylum abuser were enforced by Serbia. The border guards are to identify “false asylum seekers” – on what criteria this is done, Jacob does not discuss – and send them back on arbitrary grounds. In December 2012, the Serbian judiciary introduced Article 350a into the penal code criminalising “help for wrongful asylum claim abroad or for wrongfully obtaining welfare”. Dadruch Rroma are able to consciously leave them held Serbia. This practice is contrary to the UN Convention on Human Rights where the right to emigrate from one country – one’s own or another – is postulated. Jacob laconically states that:

The civil rights activist Vukovic would be happy to challenge the exit restrictions in court, but can not find any plaintiff. “Rroma do not dare to go against the state,” she says. The visa waiver is the most important government’s asset, and it wants to retain it. “For this they sacrifice the basic rights of the Roma.”

Source:

  • Jakob, Christian (2013) An der Grenze zurückgeschickt. In: TAZ vom 9.4.2013. 
News Switzerland

12.04.2013 Switzerland is not an Island

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The exhibition and event series of the Association Sedhalle “Switzerland is not an island,” focuses on the exclusion of Rroma in Switzerland and Europe. Through various forms of artistic expression themes such as the relationship of norm and variance, majority and minority, internal and external representation, adaptation and self-decisions are treated. Overviews of the life of various Rroma provide an insight into the question of what it means, at the beginning of the 21st Century to be Rrom in Europe. Current political debates such as the begging ban in western Switzerland, or interdictions to be in certain places are discussed, but also the questions on counter-strategies against exclusion and discrimination will be treated.

Source:

  • Verein Sedhalle (2013) Die Schweiz ist keine Insel. In: www.sedhalle.ch [12.4.2013]
News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Ukraine

12.04.2013 New Rroma Office in Freiburg

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The Rroma office in Freiburg inaugurated its new office in conjunction with the International Rroma day. Its aim is to better integrate local Rroma through language training and to sensitize mainstream society on minority issues and prejudices. Paradoxically, the Rroma office itself used some stereotypes, as traditional Rroma music was played, and visitors were able to ask a fortune-teller to predict their future. An exhibition about Rroma in the Ukraine during World War II allowed a historical reflection. Posters talked about the suffering and persecution of Rroma under the Nazi terror.

URL: http://www.roma-buero-freiburg.eu

Source:

  • Gesell, Sina (2013) Roma-Büro Freiburg weiht seine neuen Geschäftsräume ein. In: Badische Zeitung vom 10.4.2013.   
France Germany Hungary Kosovo News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

12.04.2013 International Day of Rroma: Call to End Discrimination

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On the occasion of the International Day of the Rroma on April 8th, the Green Party decidedly demands an end to discrimination of Rroma in Europe. Too many Rroma are still excluded either by informal or explicit policies of social advancement and recognition. Since its inauguration in 1971 in London, the International Day of Rroma was celebrated 42 times, and the Green party criticized in particular the political exploitation of Rroma for purposes of election campaigns. This turns them into poverty refugees and makes them the targets of an emotionalised socio-political conflict. The Green Party calls for effective implementation of the EU initiated Rroma strategy, which up to now only had very modest successes.

The chairman of the Austrian Association of Rroma, Rudolf Sarközy stressed during the day, the constructive support of the Catholic Churchto bring the Rroma from the edge of society to get into its mainstream. Former Chancellor Franz Vranitzky openly criticized the anti-Roma policies in France, Hungary and other EU countries that are not really different from questionable practices usually found in emerging countries (Katholische Presseagentur Österreich 2013).

Stille (2013), on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the Rroma day, draws sober conclusions: Although with some 15 million members, Rroma are the largest minority in Europe, they are shockingly underrepresented in politics. Exclusion, discrimination and physical threats are still the norm. One builds walls, to isolate them from other settlements, extreme right-wing citizen militias patrol Rroma neighbourhoods and provoke and abuse Rroma and Rromnja. Nearly 60 years after the genocide of Rroma under the Nazis, this fact, in contrast to the Jewish Holocaust is barely recognised. The negative stereotypes that are attributed to Rroma continue unabated. War refugees from Kosovo are afraid of deportation to a country that they no longer know and where they are discriminated against. Romani Rose, of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma warns against blanket criminalization of people who are not looking to become delinquent, but are looking for a future. Finally, Stille states accurately:

Today, on World Roma Day, it is time for us to think about why German Roma for decades – many of them well-educated, well-integrated people – hide their belonging to this ethnic minority.

Sources:

  • Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (2013) Internationaler Roma-Tag: Diskriminierungen endlich beenden. In: Düsseldorfer Abendblatt vom 9.4.2013.
  • Katholische Presseagentur Österreich (2013) Roma-Tag: “Viele wissen nicht, wie gläubig wir sind”. In: Katholische Presseagentur Österreich vom 9.4.2013.
  • Stille, Klaus-Dieter (2013) „Roma“ heisst Mensch. In: Readers Edition vom 8.4.2013. 
News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

12.04.2013 Bremen SPD Excludes Martin Korol from the Party

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Wolschner (2013) reports on the exclusion of the politician Martin Korol from the SPD. The local politician had created a stir arranged with racist abuse towards Rroma that he had published as a position paper on its website. Last Monday Korol was officially excluded from the SPD. Group Executive Martin Tschöpe presented serious pejorative remarks against Rroma, migrants and women as a reason for exclusion. Included in the questionable statements were the following views:

The Roma and Sinti “still live socially and intellectually in the Middle Ages,” it said. In another text, it was stated that a representative could only be, “who has a German education”. On the subject of gender equality Korol said that the patriarchate “that society lost the balance”, but that the rule of women is no better, which shows the “madness of the so-called self-realization of women”, in “the pleasure of alienation of the particular job in a company and in the mass murder of abortions.“

Korol denied the allegations. They were hasty, kneejerk manifestations of an older man who culturally critical and who should rather have thought first and then written. This insight is unfortunately a bit late.

Source:

  • Wolschner, Klaus (2013) Martin Korol ganz privat. In: TAZ vom 8.4.2013.
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