Category Archives: France

France News Western Europe

Trial in France

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Trial in France

The trial of René Galinier, 78 years old pensioner in France, accused of having deliberately shot two young Rroma burglar girls back in 2010 opened this week. This resulted in a number of articles in the press in France.

One needs to ask the question whether the fact that the burglars were Rroma is relevant here beyond just putting all Rroma in the same pot of the thieves, beggars, etc. The journalists should learn!

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Another Article on the rising tensions in Bulgaria

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Another Article on the rising tensions in Bulgaria

A summary of the events and latest developments in the rising tensions in Bulgaria and on the increasing instrumentalisation of Rroma among rightist parties.

France News Western Europe

Meanwhile in France …

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Meanwhile in France …

In France, the summer is the season for expulsions. The reason being that the arguments that children are in school do no longer work due to the fact that the summer holidays have started.

Amnesty reports on this and the general issue of children in Ivry, and in Ris-Orangis in Evry, both near Paris. The last locality, Evry was the municipality that refused burial to a Rroma child a while back, something that is noted in Liberation as being an attack against Rroma. Other news contain the fact that Rosny and Montreuil, near Paris refuse the installation fo Rroma; that in Grenoble, on the initiative of the church and Rroma, a dinner was organised between the two communities; while in Wissous, the situation is getting tense a month after a judge ordered the expulsion.

Bulgaria France Hungary News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

EC sees “some progress” in Rroma integration

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EC sees “some progress” in Rroma integration

According to the European commission, EU member countries have made some progress on Rroma integration in the last year. We really do wonder where… Certainly not in Bulgaria, in Hungary, in Romania, all countries where the pendulum is swinging the other way around. And Western Europe is not much better, see France, England etc.

France News Western Europe

Children are victims of evictions

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Children are victims of evictions

The newspaper “Le Monde” published two articles on the fate of Rroma children who live in camps are are often the victims of the forced evictions that are the norm under the current government of Valls. For the children, it often means stopping going to school and thus, another failed integration.

France News Western Europe

Meanwhile in France …

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Meanwhile in France …

Usual stories in France: An expulsion in Limeil; an upcoming one in Pau; the results of one in Strasbourg where some found a home whereas other did not; another back an forth in the North in Hellemmes; a police action to count Rroma in a camp near Grenoble prior to an upcoming expulsion; an the tragic death of a child in a camp in Lille following a fire. Finally, some Rroma from Montreuil, close to Paris, were present at the vote in the French assembly on the anti-discrimination law.

France News Western Europe

France and Camps

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France and Camps

Meanwhile, not much changes in France. Same articles on illegal Rroma camps or squats, on potential expulsions such as in Ivry, where Rroma invited to a party; in the North, in Hellemmes; in St. Etienne in the Loire Region; in the Centre, in St Fargeau; or in the South West.

Meanwhile, L’obs asks the question as to whether the policies of Valls and Hollande regarding the Rroma are not actually rightist ones, and Breizh Info asks itself whether cohabitation with Rroma is possible.

In all, the French Press continues to convey a totally one-sided image of Rroma – of a minority of max. 20 thousands out of the half million Rroma living in France.

Belgium France News Western Europe

An Anti Rroma Wall between France and Belgium

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An Anti Rroma Wall between France and Belgium

The town of Watrelos in France, right on the Belgian border wants to erect a 2 ½ meter high concrete wall to “protect” its citizen from a camping site for travellers on the other side of the border in the town of Mouscron. The French press is full of several articles on this. Fact is, this is not acceptable in the 21st century in Europe. And these people are Europeans, and to a large extent citizen of Schengen states. A shame for France and for the socialist mayor to the French commune.

France News Western Europe

France: Valls wants to close all Rroma camps

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The French Prime Minister stated in an interview that all Rroma camps should be closed. He also insisted that all social measures required by the law are being applied prior such a closure and that the evicted families are followed on.

What a lie

Belgium France News Western Europe

Further Evictions in France … As usual

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Further Evictions in France … As usual

Meanwhile, evictions continue, and very few of the evicted people are re-lodged as per the directives from the Valls’ government. For example in St.-Fargeau; in Grenoble, where the eviction has been requested by the mayor; and so on…

Meanwhile, in Belgium, there are also calls to re-lodge Rroma, for example in Brussels, in Ixelles, and a bus is being used as a temporary abode for five Slovak Rroma families in Brussels.

France News Western Europe

France accused by the UN of having a racist problem

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France accused by the UN of having a racist problem

France has been slammed by a UN report on racism in France. The report, among other states that “The committee is concerned by the recrudescence of hate and xenophobic speech in certain political circles and the media which contribute to the trivialisation of racism and xenophobia”. It cites racism against Jews, Moslems, but also increasingly against Rroma with statements such as the “unbearable smell” of Rroma in public transportation, but also due to police brutality in clearing illegal camps and the breach of the rights to proper lodging when expelled from such camps.

This increase of racism towards minorities is worrisome and not worthy of a country like France. Unfortunately, in the case of Rroma, even people such as the Prime Minister are prone to racist statements – for example when he deemed that Rroma do not and cannot integrate. This has to stop.

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 Germany News Western Europe

We are Gypsies, and are not like Rroma

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We are Gypsies, and are not like Rroma

Reportage on French Gitans (Gitanos) in Montpellier facing off the new immigrants. As in Germany, one has a similar reaction: We are Gitanos, they are [foreign] Rroma. We are not like them … This is the same as the Sinti in the famous Sinti and Rroma … While this is perfectly understandable, this should not be taken as a “truth”. Gitanos, Manouches, Sinti, and about 40 different other groups are all Rroma.

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.

France News Western Europe

Frances defends itself on Rroma policies at the UN

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Frances defends itself on Rroma policies at the UN

France had to defend itself in the United Nation after having been criticised on its policies towards Rroma, especially in their camp closures as well as for tolerating an increasingly anti Rroma discourse in the country. Noting that the prime minister Valls himself made statements that can only be qualified as very depreciatory if not racist towards Rroma (they cannot integrate etc.), one cannot but agree with this assessment of the UN.

France insisted that its policies were not geared against minorities but rather were done because of the illegal nature of these camps and also to “protect” their inhabitants against insalubrious living condition. The latter argument could be taken as valid if France would respect its own recommendations to find alternative lodging to people in those camps.

France News Western Europe

France: Camps closure again, and a few other news …

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France: Camps closure again, and a few other news …

A camp was closed and evacuated in Nantes, this case a camp of Manouches, as these were in caravans and cars. In Pringy, Rroma are squatting a disaffected factory.

The mud that was dumped on a Rroma camp in Hautbourdin in the north of France still makes the news, this time on a report of people helping Rroma in the region to integrate; and in Nantes, the press reports that for picking up the Mai lily.

France News Western Europe

Meanwhile, in France

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Meanwhile, in France

Hautbourdin, the commune where the mayor dumped mud on a Rroma camp to force its eviction is still in the French headlines. In some papers such as La Voix du Nord, there is some understanding towards those actions, stating that mayors do no longer know what to do, while in other papers, such as Nord Éclair, one reports on counteractions of people incensed at the actions of the mayor.

Clearly, he was not right. And there should be consequences.

In Lyon, Rroma started squatting an empty building, while close to Paris, the fire brigade was called due to a fire in a Rroma camp (one of the excuses used by the authorities to close them). And clearly, the tour de presse could not be complete without three Rroma being arrested for burglary.

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