On Slovak TV, they are wondering why Slovak Roma in Belgium all work, whereas in Slovakia, this is not the case.
Well, it has to do with the prejudices of the employers …
Conner Rousseau, a Belgian politician and now former chair of the Vorruit (Social Democrat) party made racist statements against Roma last September. A mediation was proposed and initially accepted, but Roma organisations withdrew from the agreement.
He is now set to be judged but will not attend the proceedings.
On Saturday, the city of Brussels organised an event to celebrate the international Roma day.
The former president of the Flemish socialist party (Vooruit), Conner Rousseau, seemed to be able to escape a trial despite his racist remarks against Roma, provided he would respect certain conditions. But one of the three Roma community associations involved in the agreement has decided to withdraw from the mediation procedure and is considering other actions.
150 Moldovan Roma who occupied an empty office were expulsed. They were not provided with an alternative lodging.
On Friday December 8th, the Esma association organises an information event on Roma culture and a concert. The association was founded by the renowned Romni Esma Rdžepova.
Conner Rousseau, the president of the Vooruit party (Socialist) resigned after weeks of controversy on his statements about Roma. He apparently said “one has to get rid of them” and said they are “brown garbage”. He then claimed to his defence to have been drunk …
The Flemish socialist leader Conner Rousseau has been instructed by public prosecutors to follow therapy. He had made racist statements against Roma, and his apology, saying he was drunk at that time and would never say such things if sober did not help. Roma organisations filed a complaint and are part of a mediation procedure.
On the occasion of International Roma Day, Fidesz EP representative Lívia Járóka organized a contemporary art exhibition entitled “Time of the Gypsies” in honor of the diverse and special Roma culture and art in the EP building in Brussels.
By presenting the works of eleven Roma visual artists of Hungarian origin, the exhibition explores the unique perspectives of Roma visual art and describes its diverse style and specific traditions in its pictorial world.
Lívia Járóka is herself subject of controverses: She is firmly behind Viktor Orban, and thus in effect and in spite of her origins, supports discrimination and segregation of Roma in Hungary.
According to the police, Roma families constitute the bulk of begging with children in the capital. Five years ago, the police identified ten to fifteen active families near the Grand-Place and Rue Neuve. At the beginning of 2022, it counted six times more.
Begging with minors was forbidden, then the law was suspended, and if finally again forbidden, with fines of up to 350 EUR. The discussion whether this interdiction is the right solution are ongoing.
Photographies of Jan Yoors who spend several years with Roma in Belgium where recently exhibited in paris.
The city of Brussels holds to its regulation on beggars, in spite of the suspension ordered by a higher instance.
Bad.
The city of Brussels introduced rules for beggars, forbidding people below the age of 26 to beg. This was suspended by the supervisory authority, namely the Brussels Minister in charge of Local Authorities Bernard Clerfayt. The city is now contesting this.
One knows that regulations of begging have very little impact and only fight the symptoms, the real causes.
A debate on the difficulties of integration for Roma. Unfortunately, with the usual stereotypes of 80% of the Roma being poor, travelling, uneducated, etc. all the while saying there are 12 millions of them, which, if they all corresponded to the stereotypes would be much more visible.
The city of Brussels is trying to stop children younger than 16 from begging. And of course, these are Roma.
Forbidding begging is not a solution.
An exhibition presenting the roots and traditions of Roma culture through the works of Hungarian painter and poet János Balázs (1905-1977) has opened in Brussels.
A huge police action took place in Belgium. Its aim was to dismantle a vast con network that was involved in scams with used cars. During the operation, cars but also caravans were confiscated.
– “Ils nous ont pris nos caravanes et nous ont laissés sur le trottoir”: la communauté rom dénonce l’opération policière. In: BX1. 09.05.2019. https://bx1.be/news/ils-nous-ont-pris-nos-caravanes-et-nous-ont-laisses-sur-le-trottoir-la-communaute-rom-denonce-loperation-policiere/
– Vaste opération policière en Belgique: le porte-parole des Gitans arrêté. In: Le Soir. 10.05.2019. https://www.lesoir.be/223546/article/2019-05-10/vaste-operation-policiere-en-belgique-le-porte-parole-des-gitans-arrete [link-preview url=”https://bx1.be/news/ils-nous-ont-pris-nos-caravanes-et-nous-ont-laisses-sur-le-trottoir-la-communaute-rom-denonce-loperation-policiere/ “]
In Etterbeek, on the outskirts of Brussels, Roma beggars will be forbidden near banks.
Really????
– Etterbeek éloigne mendiants et roms des agences bancaires. In: La Capitale. 15.03.2019. https://www.lacapitale.be/360336/article/2019-03-15/etterbeek-eloigne-mendiants-et-roms-des-agences-bancaires [link-preview url=”https://www.lacapitale.be/360336/article/2019-03-15/etterbeek-eloigne-mendiants-et-roms-des-agences-bancaires”]
The delegate in charge for the rights of children, Bernard de Vos, is asking the country to take back a Romni and her 4 children who were expulsed in October.
– Bernard De Vos réclame le retour de la famille rom serbe expulsée en octobre dernier. In: Le Vif. 07.01.2019. https://www.levif.be/actualite/belgique/bernard-de-vos-reclame-le-retour-de-la-famille-rom-serbe-expulsee-en-octobre-dernier/article-normal-1075595.html [link-preview url=”https://www.levif.be/actualite/belgique/bernard-de-vos-reclame-le-retour-de-la-famille-rom-serbe-expulsee-en-octobre-dernier/article-normal-1075595.html”]
Belgium is following the French pattern of expulsions. This time in Namur, although one has to say there is also a mobilisation of citizen to help the Roma.
– Carrières : expulsion imminente. In: DH. 30.11.2018. http://www.dhnet.be/regions/namur/carrieres-expulsion-imminente-5c003531cd70fdc91bb493c3
– Les «Roms» ne passeront pas l’hiver aux anciennes carriers. In: L’Avenir. 29.11.2018. https://www.lavenir.net/cnt/dmf20181128_01263392/les-roms-ne-passeront-pas-l-hiver-aux-anciennes-carrieres
– Mobilisation citoyenne pour aider des familles de SDF et de Roms. In: Canal C. 26.11.2018. http://www.canalc.be/mobilisation-citoyenne-pour-aider-des-familles-de-sdf-et-de-roms/ [link-preview url=”https://www.lavenir.net/cnt/dmf20181128_01263392/les-roms-ne-passeront-pas-l-hiver-aux-anciennes-carrieres “]
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