Daily Archives: March 29, 2015

News Switzerland

Switzerland: No space for foreign travellers

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The camping place for travellers in Winterthur is now closed to foreign travellers. Official reason given is that a while back, some travelling Rroma left the place in dire state. Hence the interdiction.

That the behaviour of a few people should not be taken as grounds for a blanket interdictions should have occurred to the city of Winterthur… This is simply not acceptable in the 21st century.

News Switzerland

A movie on Rroma beggars in Lausanne

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Another documentary on Rroma beggars in Switzerland. It is amazing how a very small number of people seems to fascinate an entire country. In Lausanne, there are no more than 60 beggars at any time, and not all of them are Rroma. In Switzerland, there are at most 1’000 such beggars, thieves, prostitutes, and they are represented as a horde invading this peaceful country… Even theough there are 80 to 100 thousand well integrated Rroma there.

In Brief, another movie, another view on the same old stereotypes.

Europe

Joakim Eskildsen: The Roma Journeys

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Resource online did a short article on the photographer Joakim ERskildsen and his book “the Roma Journeys”. This work, already a few years old remains a superb book, made with a lot of love. What we loved most, is that the authors himself acknowledged the fact that yes, he could only capture images of the visible ones.

News Western Europe

Bavaria’s Catholic Church makes a step

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In Bavaria, the Catholic Church appointed a priest solely for the Sinti. It has to be said that the Catholic Church up till now has done very little for Rroma and was more on the oppressing side. This is one of the reasons why many Rroma in Western Europe have turned to evangelical churches. So, a bit late, in fact a few centuries late, but better than never!

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

And as usual … France …

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France this week was in the midst of its local (departmental) elections which has seen a surge in support for the Front National of Marine Le Pen. The French press, never adverse at racial profiling, did go quite far this week. They spoke of evictions in Grimaud, close to St. Tropez; of a fire in a camp in Montpellier; of evictions in Bayonne;  but even more so on criminality.

A report of organised criminality and begging in the region of Lille in the North of France, whereby a Bulgarian gangster ring would force people to beg in that city. Just across the border, some Rroma were arrested for stealing handbags in a fancy shop in Liège.

In brief, the standard picture of the migrant South Eastern European Rrom, who comes to beg, steal, or simply benefit from the social welfare is reinforced, this ahead of elections where an extreme right party is making huge inroads…

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