Monthly Archives: August 2017

Bulgaria – Law and Order

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The Bulgarian Interior Minister Valentin Radev promised the return of Law and Order in Asenovgrad by adding policemen policing the Roma neighbourhood there. The city had been the scene of riots against Roma – allegedly because of petty criminality …
The right answer would be a different one.

– Minister Valentin Radev: There will be law and order in Roma neighbourhood in Asenovgrad. In: Focus Network. 24.08.2017. http://www.focus-fen.net/news/2017/08/24/422311/minister-valentin-radev-there-will-be-law-and-order-in-roma-neighbourhood-in-asenovgrad.html

Hungary, Voting Rights, and Roma

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An idea is being floated in Hungary that only people paying taxes should be allowed to vote in elections. This is mainly directed at Hungarians outside of Hungary (many of whom acquired the Hungarian passport under Orban). The Deputy Prime Minister made a slip of the tongue while arguing against this idea referring to Roma – saying that very few of them actually work and pay taxes.

– Dog whistle racism from Hungary’s deputy prime minister. In: Hungarian Free Press. 21.08.2017. http://hungarianfreepress.com/2017/08/21/dog-whistle-racism-from-hungarys-deputy-prime-minister/

School and Slovakia

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A typical story for Slovakia. The government plenipotentiary for Roma affairs, Abel Ravasz, is trying to mediate an issue of bullying of Roma in a school and a de-facto attempt at school segregation. Bullying against Roma children happened in Demandice, a village where Roma from two neighbouring communes are attending school in. The local council has decided to exclude Lontov and Ipeľský Sokolec from their school district, meaning that the mostly Roma pupils from these municipalities are allowed to attend a school in Demandice, but will not have the travel expenses paid. This is a de-facto exclusion of the Roma as they depend on this stipend.

Rómsky splnomocnenec sa dohodol so starostami na postupe v Demandiciach. In: SME Domov. 22.08.2017. https://domov.sme.sk/c/20631878/splnomocnenec-sa-dohodol-so-starostami-na-rieseni-problemov-v-demandiciach.html

Response to Slavery

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The UK press had a field day when the details of the slavery case were highlighted last week. A family of travellers held people in squalid conditions as de-facto slaves.
Here is the response to this act from the Traveller Community.

– ‘Traveller slavery’ and the press – a TT response. In: The Travellers’ Times. 21.08.2017. http://travellerstimes.org.uk/Blogs–Features/Traveller-slavery-and-the-press–a-TT-response.aspx

Sofia: House Destroyed

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The removal of Roma settlement continues in Bulgaria. This time, Roma 149 houses in Zaharna Faharna that are deemed to be illegal were destroyed.
Illegal means it was built without formal approval/land registry entry which happens to be the case of all Roma Mahalas.
BAD!

– 149 Illegal Roma Houses are being Destroyed in Sofia’s Zaharna Fabrika Quarter. In: Novinite. 22.08.2017. http://www.novinite.com/articles/182518/149+Illegal+Roma+Houses+are+being+Destroyed+in+Sofia%27s+Zaharna+Fabrika+Quarter

Slovakia: End of the Festival

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The festival that took place in Zvolen, Banska Bistrica and in nearby towns is ending this week end. Yesterday, a gala concert with Roma musicians from various countries was held in Sliač with musicians from Russia, Hungary, Czech republic and Slovakia.

– Galaprogramom dnes vrcholí multižánrové podujatie Ľudia z rodu Rómov. In: Dobre Noviny. 19.08.2017. http://www.dobrenoviny.sk/c/108437/galaprogramom-dnes-vrcholi-multizanrove-podujatie-ludia-z-rodu-romov

Germany: Max Birkenfelder

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The Holocaust survivor, Max Birkenfelder, died at the age of 79. Hi family spent four years in the Radom Ghetto in Poland, where they were forced to work under extreme conditions.
May he rest in peace!

– Als Kind Erschießungen erlebt. In: Maheimer Morgen. 18.08.2017. https://www.morgenweb.de/schwetzinger-zeitung_artikel,-schwetzingen-als-kind-erschiessungen-erlebt-_arid,1098227.html

Hungarian Roma in Phiren Amenca

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25 young Hungarian Roma will be travelling to Varna, Bulgaria, to attend the Phiren Amenca Network conference. They will meet Roma and Gadže from all over Europe to discuss a variety of topics regarding Roma.

– 25 young Roma to represent Hungary at Varna forum of Phiren Amenca. In: Politics.hu. 18.08.2017. http://www.politics.hu/20170818/25-young-roma-to-represent-hungary-at-varna-forum-of-phiren-amenca/

French Chronicle …

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Holidays are over, and Roma are back in the news … In Angers, in Western France, a camp will probably dismantled; in Nantes, the municipality is voting an action plan for Roma; in Salliers; a Nazi Swastika was painted on the site of the former Roma concentration camp; in Montreuil. 13 families are still on the street, one year after having been expulsed; in Paris, on the Porte de la Chapelle, the 35th expulsion (yes) just took place; near Paris, an illegal dump is allegedly created by Roma; in the North, in Lille, people bemoan the insecurity with beggars and others near the railway station; and finally, in Strasbourg, there is a potential case of tuberculosis in a camp.

– Angers Le camp des Roms menacé d’expulsion rue du Maine. In: Le Courrier de l’Ouest. 17.08.2017. http://www.courrierdelouest.fr/actualite/angers-le-camp-des-roms-menace-d-expulsion-rue-du-maine-17-08-2017-328166
– Nantes Métropole Un plan d’action pour les Roms. In: Presse Océan. 17.08.2017. http://www.presseocean.fr/actualite/nantes-metropole-un-plan-daction-pour-les-roms-17-08-2017-241923
– Elle est où, l’horreur? In: Médiapart. 19.08.2017. https://blogs.mediapart.fr/juliette-keating/blog/190817/elle-est-ou-lhorreur
– Montreuil, épicétout. In: Médiapart. 17.08.2017. https://blogs.mediapart.fr/juliette-keating/blog/170817/montreuil-epicetout
– Porte de la Chapelle: c’est la 35ème évacuation! In: Médiapart. 18.08.2017. https://blogs.mediapart.fr/arthur-porto/blog/180817/porte-de-la-chapelle-cest-la-35eme-evacuation
– Carrières-sous-Poissy – Triel : la plaine transformée en vaste décharge à ciel ouvert. In: Le Parisien. 16.08.2017. http://www.leparisien.fr/triel-sur-seine-78510/carrieres-sous-poissy-triel-la-plaine-transformee-en-vaste-decharge-a-ciel-ouvert-16-08-2017-7196004.php
– L’insécurité autour de la gare Lille-Flandres inquiète riverains et commerçants. In: Nord Éclair. 14.08.2017. http://www.nordeclair.fr/82993/article/2017-08-14/l-insecurite-autour-de-la-gare-lille-flandres-inquiete-riverains-et-commercants
– Strasbourg : suspicion d’un cas de tuberculose dans un camp de migrants. In: FR3 Grand Est. 14.08.2017. http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/grand-est/bas-rhin/strasbourg-0/suspicion-cas-tuberculose-camp-refugies-1311273.html

UK Project

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A study on the integration of Roma in Eastern UK is being helped by several Roma of the community.

– Community champions from Roma gypsy communities in Great Yarmouth, Ipswich, Luton, Peterborough and Southend to help Fenland Council in £150,000 study. In: The Wisbech Standard. 17.08.2017. http://www.wisbechstandard.co.uk/news/community-champions-from-roman-gypsy-communities-in-great-yarmouth-ipswich-luton-peterborough-and-southend-to-help-fenland-council-in-150-000-study-1-5153629

Italian Press

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An Italian article about Roma thieves who use beautiful and well-dressed woman to enter palaces and rob the places, or simply to steal tourists. The clan is apparently successful, for they all live in luxurious villas in the East of Rome.
Bad publicity for all.

– La banda delle “veline” rom: si fingono turiste e si intrufolano nei palazzi di Roma. In: Secolo l’Italia. 12.08.2017. http://www.secoloditalia.it/2017/08/la-banda-delle-veline-rom-si-fingono-turiste-e-si-intrufolano-nei-palazzi-di-roma/

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