The ARD report “How Roma experience discrimination in Germany” (2013) shows how strong the prejudices of the majority against the Rroma truly are, and are increasing now due to the current debate. The media hype about Rroma as social help recipients and as the cause of rising crime and littering, is contrasted in this report against integrated Rroma from Germany. They – except the protagonist of the documentary – keep their identity secret. There were too many bad experiences with negative stereotypes. The young Rroma student depicted in the report is an exception. She wants to make a difference politically, right the highly distorted picture that society has on Rroma. The report shows clearly, how strong the power of media and prejudices are.

Even articles such as the one of the TAZ (2013) confirm the public perception that neglected Rroma living on the border of criminality. Although the article highlights the positive efforts of the Berlin Integration Supervisor Monika Lüke who wants to build a dormitory for homeless Rroma, it is such a one-sided reporting resulting in an nourishing the problem mentioned in the above report, namely that of a unilateral construction of identity of the Rroma based on negative sterotypes.

Bulgaria’s President Rosen Plevneliev, in an interview with the German magazine Focus, disputes the existence of a mass migration of Roma to Germany (Epoch Times Germany 2013). The statistics are doubtful. On often speaks of millions of Rroma in Bulgaria, even though according to government statistics, only 300,000 Rroma live in that country. Bulgaria also has undertaken massive efforts to secure its border. He criticized that Romania and Bulgaria unfortunately always serve as convenient explanation for problems of the partner countries of Europe (Europe Online Magazine 2013).

The German President Joachim Gauck criticized during his visit to Schleswig-Hohlstein the hysterical debate on Rroma immigration from Romania and Bulgaria and the ignoble tradition of discrimination and exclusion (Spiegel Online 2003). He stressed that the people left their homes because of poverty and discrimination and stated it is wrong to stigmatize an entire ethnic group. Such prejudices are a disrespect for the well integrated Rroma living in Germany since the 1960s. The statement quoted at the end of the article stating that “in the first six months of last year, about 500,000” emigrated from Romania and Bulgaria to Germany is to be really questioned. This would truly correspond to the predicted mass immigration.

Dagmar Rosenfeld and Özlem Topcu (2013) of the Zeit see the feared mass immigration in Duisburg already having become a reality. They visited a high-rise building in the district Rheinhausen Bergheim, where mainly Rroma are living. 6’176 people from Bulgaria and Romania, mainly Rroma have immigrated recently to Duisburg. The report cited report on immigration from South-eastern Europe (Duisburg 2013) notes that Duisburg, because of its numerous, empty houses in poor condition attracts poor immigrants. Not every immigrant child can be offered a pace in school because rooms and teachers are missing and many of the immigrant children and adults cannot read nor write. In addition, there is also probably forced and child prostitution. The article concludes with the sober observation that social peace in Duisburg is in jeopardy. Emotional and hatred have taken hold.

Sources:           

• Epoch Times Deutschland (2013) Bulgariens Präsident bestreitet massenhafte Zuwanderung von Roma in andere EU-Staaten. In: Epoch Times Deutschland vom 22.3.2013.
• Europe Online Magazine (2013) Plewneliew: Keine massenhafte Zuwanderung bulgarischer Roma. In: Europe Online Magazine vom 22.3.2013.
• Memarina, Susanne (2013) Wohnen ist das Problem. In: TAZ vom 21.3.2013.
• Rosenfeld, Dagmar / Topcu, Özlem (2013) Das umkämpfte Haus. In: Die Zeit vom 14.3.2013.
• Schayani, Isabel / Onneken, Peter (2013) Ausgerenzt: Wie Roma in Deutschland Diskriminierung erleben. In: Monitor (WDR) vom 14.3.2013.
• Stadt Duisburg (2013) Zuwanderung von Menschen aus Südost-Europa. In: http://www.wir-sind-du.de/?p=5227 (22.3.2013).
• Spiegel online (2013) Gauck macht sich für Sinti und Roma stark. In: Spiegel online vom 22.3.2013. 

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