The mayor of a French village in the Dordogne region of France turned off the water supply to a Rroma camp in an attempt to chase them away. What else would he try?
According Human Rights League, France expulsed nearly 4’000 Rroma from camps over the first 6 months of 2015.
One needs to bear other numbers in mind: 20’000 Rroma migrants live in such camps according to the French authorities. And there are roughly 500’000 Rroma in France. Again, there is a question of proportion: The press devotes all its news to less than a percent of Rroma overall in France!
A series of pictures of the eviction of one of the Rroma camps that dot the outskirts of Paris.
In spite of the French focus on these camps and migrants, let’s not forget that these represent less than 20 thousand people whereas there are roughly 500 thousand Rroma in France. So a minority.
René Gallinier, the retired Frenchman who shot at two teenage Rroma burglars a while back was sentenced to 5 years of prison, 4 of which on probation. As we already reported, he shot and wounded two girls who were robbing his house and his trial generated quite a buzz in the French press.
This is a mild sentence for something that easily could have resulted in a death.
Following requests for some camps for travellers in the region of Biel/Bienne in Switzerland, the unfortunately usual discussion about who is what started anew in the press. Who are Jenische (Swiss travellers, also present in France, Germany, Austria); Sinti, who in Switzerland are often intermarried with Jenische but otherwise come from France, Germany and Italy; Rroma, whom the Swiss understand as “Foreign Travellers”, who are mostly French and German Rroma etc…
Meanwhile in France, the usual expulsions, defence, squats still make the headlines. In the University of Paris 8, the right for children to go to school is at the centre; in Ivry, near Paris, 73 families have to leave their camp; in the South West, two families are also expulsed; while in the Paris region, tensions are reported near a Rroma camp.
A controversy in France regarding Martine Aubry the mayor of the Northern city of Lille: This socialist ex-minister reportedly consulted Rroma migrants on the issues they are facing. According to one of them, she “saw us, did what she wanted to do, and kicked us out”… So much for empathy and socialist ideals.
A good summary and critique of the French policies towards migrants in general and Rroma in particular.
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!
An exhibition called “On the road” documents the live of Rroma migrants in France.
A summary of the events and latest developments in the rising tensions in Bulgaria and on the increasing instrumentalisation of Rroma among rightist parties.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As every year on May 25th of Rroma pilgrims gathered in Saintes Marie de la Mer in the Camargue in honour of the black Madonna, Sarah la Kali.
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.
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
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.
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