Category Archives: News Eastern Europe

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Prostitution … Again

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Prostitution … Again

A first article in the Swiss German press since the publication of a study on the bias of newspapers in that country against Rroma (See Rroma Foundation). This time, a Swiss man allegedly bought a young Czech Rromni from a Rrom in the Czech Republic for prostitution for the sum of 256 CHF. The whole thing flew off as the woman shouted while crossing the border and she was subsequently freed.

Sad story. But what we liked, it is the first time where such a story is brought without saying that this is “typical” or “culturally driven” for Rroma. It is a criminal deed that, unfortunately does exist. It is not a cultural trait of a minority. And we are happy that this is the way it was reported.

Hungary News Americas News Eastern Europe

Rita Iszak: A Rromni and the special rapporteur for the UN on Minorities

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A portrait and interview of a Hungarian Rromni activist who worked first at the European Roma Right Centre (ERRC) and who is now the special raporteur for Minority issues at the UN.

Well done!

News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Serbia

Graduate Level Education for Rroma

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Graduate Level Education for Rroma

Many young Rroma are rebelling against so-called scientific evidence on and about Rroma. They are rebelling against statements such as “that Roma mothers willingly accept evaluation of their children as mentally disabled so that they can reap social benefits” found in a Serbian scientific journal. The Central European University is starting a program of graduate studies aimed at young Rroma so that they can contradict such nonsense from the inside!

All the luck to them!

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

French “Normality”: Summer expulsions

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French “Normality”: Summer expulsions

The French Press is again full of news on forced eviction of illegal Rroma camps in France. This is nearly the only news that is given about Rroma in France.

Several articles are devoted to the evacuation of the camp in Saint-Herblain near Nantes. In this case, these are to a large extent French Rroma / Manouches, and not newer migrants from Romania and Bulgaria.

Other than that, a camp emptied in Argenteuil; another one in Limeil-Brévannes; one in Bonneuil-Limeil; while a Rroma camp is blocking the reconversion of a former prison in Loos; and in Ivry, Rroma are appealing against an imminent expulsion. Finally, Rroma who were recently expulsed are asking the prefect for new lodging, as is required by the French law prior to an eviction.

Albania France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

French Prefect in front of tribunal

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French Prefect in front of tribunal

The prefect of Lyon, Mr. Michel Delpuech, has to appear in front the administrative tribunal of Lyon following a complaint from about 60 Romanian Rroma who were expulsed from their illegal camp by order of the prefect. There is a further complaint from Kosovars and Albanians for the same reason. The Prefecture states that there is no legal basis for asking to be re-lodged, as this is purely required for asylum seekers and not for EU citizen.

We hope he gets convicted…

France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

France: Integration is also possible

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France: Integration is also possible

An nice article on a young Rrom from Romania who managed to get out of the camps, get a job, a flat, and a nearly normal life.

It shows that in spite of Mr. Valls’ statement that Rroma cannot integrate that they do, given the chance.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungarian Rroma Murders – Conviction upheld

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Hungarian Rroma Murders – Conviction upheld

The appellate court in Budapest upheld the first instance judgment against the perpetrators of the hate crimes against Rroma in Hungary. Three of the perpetrators are sentenced to life without parole, while another forth one to 13 years in Prison.

Czech Republic Hungary News Eastern Europe Romania Slovakia

European Commission slams Slovakia

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European Commission slams Slovakia

The European Commission criticised Slovakia for systematic discrimination of Rroma children in education. It started legal proceedings for breaches of EU anti-discrimination law, referring to discrimination against Roma children in education. After the Czech Republic where such a procedure was started in September 2014, this is the second country in Europe that is being targeted.

Segregation in schools has been common in both the Czech and Slovak republics, but also exists in Romania and in Hungary. The practice of sending Rroma children systematically to schools for mentally disabled people is unfortunately also part of this pattern.

We welcome these actions!

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovak Police trains their Czech counterparts

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Slovak Police trains their Czech counterparts

The Slovak police is training their Czech counterparts in dealing with the Rroma minority. Looking back at the latest scandals in Slovakia where police brutality against Rroma is common and widespread, one can ask whether this is really a good idea.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe News Switzerland Romania

Romania: Between poverty and the hope of integration

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Romania: Between poverty and the hope of integration

Swissinfo reports on Swiss help for Rroma in villages in Romania and on the fact that the Swiss government is making Rroma a priority for their foreign aid, especially to Romania and Bulgaria.

The report focuses on an initiative of Terre des Hommes, funded by the Swiss government in several villages in South Western Romania.

News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

Sweden Municipality hires wrong translators

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Sweden Municipality hires wrong translators

The Swedish municipality of Helsingborg hired Rroma translators instead of Romanian translators in order to communicate with Romanian immigrants. Needless to say that most Romanians did not understand a word, showing that contrary to people’s beliefs, not all Romanian immigrants are Rroma …

Czech Republic Hungary News Eastern Europe Romania

Amnesty International condemns the Czech Republic for segregation

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Amnesty International condemns the Czech Republic for segregation

alJazeeraAmnesty International condemned the fact that the Czech Republic has failed to comply with a European court order to stop placing Roma children in schools for the mentally disabled regardless of the students’ capabilities. Placing Rroma in schools for mentally disabled people has a long tradition in the Czech and Slovak republics as well as in Hungary and Romania. This is simply no longer acceptable in the 21. Century.

News Eastern Europe News Switzerland News Western Europe

Amnesty: Who are Rroma

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Amnesty: Who are Rroma

amnestyAmnesty wrote a FAQ sheet on Rroma. Not bad, but still perpetuating some stereotypes. Rroma “travelled from place to place”. This is clearly false in many places, in the Balkans but also in Western Europe. Pity that they couldn’t get over their stereotypes.

News Eastern Europe

Police Brutality in the Slovak Republic

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Police Brutality in the Slovak Republic

The Slovak Police raided the village of Vrbnica on April 3rd to seek people who faiuled to show up for prison sentences. Rroma activists state that the police action was brutal and violent, and showed their injuries. The police had not been using cameras, making any proof of these allegations extremely difficult, but this raid and the violence is reminiscent of another case in Moldava nad Bodvou.

Fact is, the police there is prone to use violence against minorities and has an extremely negative view of Rroma. This has to change.

News Eastern Europe

Turkish PM pledges to help Rroma

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Turkish PM pledges to help Rroma

The Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has pledged to help Rroma with an 11 legal article commitment during a meeting in Istanbul with Rroma representatives. This is pretty much a first, as the dominant AK party has been more eager to evict Rroma rather than to help them, as in the case of the Sulukule neighbourhood in Istanbul. Fact is, “Çengene”, the name Turks give to Rroma is still very much of a swearword in that country. Let’s see what comes next.

Germany News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Rroma conference in Ulm

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Rroma conference in Ulm

More than 100 organisations from various countries around the Danube gathered in Ulm, Germany, to discuss the situation of Rroma in Europe. Consensus seems to be that the Rroma are the losers of the changes that followed the fall of communism, and that in spite of the Rroma decase that started in 2004, their situation has gotten worse.

Hungary News Americas News Eastern Europe

Canada toughens legal assistance requirements

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Canada toughens legal assistance requirements

Following a scathing report on lawyers who did not defend Rroma refugees from Hungary properly, the Ontario state has passed a slate of new measures requiring competency tests for lawyers. There were a number of cases that were lost due to the incompetency of lawyers, resulting in several expulsions back to Hungary.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Hungary: Rroma only schools

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The Hungarian supreme court allowed Rroma only religious schools in that country. The Hungarian minister for Education, Integration, and Human resources had been supporting the views from the schools who had lost a case in lower instances. The EU and the Chance for Childrne Foundations were clearly against it.

So are we… Segregation on any reason is not an answer. The answer is integration.

News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Critics already started on the European Roma Institute

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Critics already started on the European Roma Institute

Several critiques were already aimed at the newly created European Roma Institute, especially. Yaron Matras, a renowned linguist and Rroma specialist led the charge: It already questions the “Roma led” side of the initiative; lobs a few well aimed barbs at the “Roma Decade” also initiated in part by the Open Society Foundations and a de facto failure; but mostly fears that such an institute would prevent free academic research, as people who were meant to be part of the ERI, openly criticised the fact that research so far has been devoid of Rroma input and scholars, and is thus biased.

We can side with the concerns of the academics, as such an institute can easily turn into a watchdog for political correctness, on the other hand, we have to side with the ERI, saying that many scholar writing on Rroma wrote fairly idiotic thing too, and in total impunity. This is not to say that all research is bad, but it is often very limited (a small group in a specific country), and perpetuates fake research such as the one from Wlysslocky, a 19th century “scholar” who wrote totally inept facts but is still cited by all scholars…

So let’s hope and see!

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