A normally quite good radio station organised a discussion on the “Civilisation Tsigane”. It would have been good if they had checked their facts. France still seems totally confused between “Gens du Voyage”, Tsiganes, Roma, etc.
Quite a few news and articles about Roma in France this week. It all starts with the destruction of a Roma camp in Villeron (Val d’Oise) near Paris by local residents. The town’s mayor participated in this de-facto pogrom and is now under investigation. It is sad, and it is also the reflection of a total failure of the French state. These shantytowns lodge less than 20’000 people. They have, for the most part, been in France for 20 years. And the sate failed in their integration.
The other big news is that of a French senator for the centre right stating that the deputies of the LFI (La France Insoumise – Leftist party) are transforming the National Assembly in a “Gypsy camp”. Several associations have requested he excuses himself and have complained about the systemic racism against Roma in France.
A bad week …
An article about a town near Paris that took it up to themselves to chase Roma away from their territory.
About a hundred Roma lived in a shantytown made of wooden huts in this Villeron (Val d’Oise) where Marine Le Pen came first in the presidential election, and which has been headed since 2014 by Dominique Kudla (without label). The mayor is now singled out for having supported and accompanied the rally that led to the eviction and destruction of the slum. “The mayor’s mission is to be the guarantor of the rule of law. We totally and unambiguously disapprove of what happened,” said Prefect Philippe Court. An investigation has been opened to specify, in particular, “whether or not there has been violence against people as well as damage to property”, announces the Pontoise prosecutor’s office.
Bad.
A new museum in Montreuil en Bellay will be created to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. This location was an internment camp in France for Roma.
Other news are much more usual: An association devoted to the promotion of Roma culture (well, it is a bit of a stereotyped culture) celebrates its ten years. In the North, a family is facing expulsion. In the Southeast in Grenoble, neighbours of a squat are complaining. And finally, the story of a former fort near Paris which is supposed to be turned into a centre for oncology and is literally full of garbage. Until 2021, Roma were sorting out the garbage there.
A conference in Strasbourg on the Alsatian criminal police and the persecution of Sinti and Roma between 1940 and 1944.
At last one speaks about it.
French television presents a movie about a young Romni who studies and wants to escape an arranged marriage, which according to the television is the tradition among Roma. Not quite correct, after all stereotypes are always ok about Roma. Other news are more usual: A fire in a camp in Fresnes and residents in Thiais protesting delays of closing a camp, both near Paris. And a house that was squatted by Roma in Grenoble is destroyed.
Literally no news this week on Roma in France. One article, about tiny houses and a social project aiming at mixing people from camps with regular residents in Lille mentions the Roma and states that the French insertion villages are an integration failure as they keep the Roma among themselves. Other than that, a fire in a camp near Paris.
Still not much in the French press about Roma this last week. An initiative to play with Roma children in the North of France. Nice idea, but frankly, what does it bring? Also in the North, a camp got closed in Lille. Near Paris, in Bobigny, another camp was closed. Finally, near Nice in the South, a new camp was opened. This is the same game since nearly 20 years: Close a camp, the camp pops up somewhere else.
Almost no news in France about Roma. A reportage in the Šutka, deemed to be the “capital” of the Roma – a reportage that was already shown on Swiss TV some time back (we reported). Other news is just a fire in a squat in Grenoble.
Véronique Le Goaziou, sociologist, has just published a latest book entitled “Démunis” [Destitute]. For two years, she investigated people in great precariousness in the department of Bouches-du-Rhône. Here we see one of the unfortunate trends, namely an implicit view that Roma are poor.
Other news are: In Uzès, a family is faced with expulsion. In Toulouse, the regional assembly supports the scholll inclusion od children. Also in Toulouse, on the riverbanks, a new camp is growing. In Nantes, a fire started in a camp. Finally, in the North of France, the prefect is pushing for more expulsions, something that has not been a solution for the last 20 years…
Not much about Roma his week in France. An interview with two Romanian Roma who live in a camp near Paris and their hops of finding work and having a proper lodging. Another article about the “white van”, or how a story about Roma stealing children took hold of France a few years back. Roma fighting back the expulsion from their camp in Bobigny, and another demand of closure in Saint Denis. Finally, Roma an criminality, here near Toulouse and about prostitution.
The French city of Montpellier is carrying out an unprecedented experiment to try to integrate the Roma. The City evacuated the slum of Celleneuve, one of the largest in France, in favour of a “transition village”. Those who have agreed to go there benefit from intensive follow-up.
In April 2022, the slum in the Celleneuve district, west of Montpellier, was emptied and then destroyed after 10 years of existence. It was one of the biggest in France with 250 people. While slum dwellers are usually purely and simply expelled in France, without any alternative solution, the city of Montpellier and the prefecture of Hérault have opted for a different method. Thus, about fifty families agreed to be housed in a transitional village, on the edge of the highway, in a series of spartan but healthy bungalows equipped with water and electricity.
The numbers are interesting here: 250 people in a slum for 10 years … And 50 families for 250 people means that families have on average 5 people. Not really the very large families that are reported to by the press.
The United Nations is concerned about “the racist political discourse held by political leaders”, as well as the proliferation of hateful and discriminating words in the media in France. This is not new if one think what Manuel Valls, a former Prime Minister said about Roma while in power. But it is good that it is being highlighted.
Other news are more usual: A group of Roma and volunteers cleaned the garbage in a wood. Police arrested Bosnian Roma specialised in stealing power tools.
Two articles this week tackle the recurrent rumours of Roma stealing children in France. One documentary returns to the series of attacks perpetrated against the Roma community in Seine-Saint-Denis following fake news forcefully relayed on the internet. The other one looks at the many instances where this rumour made its mark: Marseilles in 2008, Paris region in 2018, in between Bordeaux, or even Naples in Italy.
Other news are more of the usual ones: 7 years of jail for Bulgarian Roma who smuggled tobacco; issues in a town near Geneva with Roma; and a film festival showing the movie “une jeunesse Rom”.
Not much this week, which is always good. An extended family in Uzès, in the South is looking for a new place to stay after nearly 9 years in the same camp; a new camp being set up near Nantes and resulting protests; near Geneva, a mayor tries to find lodging for Roma; and finally, France being pointed out for racism by the UNO.
This week is more usual. An article about the effectiveness of the “transition village” that was set up in Montpellier, with more people finding jobs and housing, showing this is the better way to do things. In Nantes, a conference will be held on Roma and precarity. And the rest is the usual: A fire in a Roma camp near Paris; a closure of a camp in Villeurbane near Lyon and another one that neighbours would like to see closed in the same town.
Interesting week about Roma in the French press. First, an article about a “reportage” on Travellers in France that simply panders to the worst common stereotypes. This is definitively not journalism, but rather disinformation, unfortunately watcher by 2.9 Mio French. In Mulhouse, in Eastern France, there will be an information day on Roma and Travellers. In Grenoble, in the Southeast, young Roma can do sports. Then, an article about the rumour about a traffic of human organs and abduction, all involving Roma. The article investigates where the rumour started and how it spread through social media. Finally, a more common news in Toulouse, where Roma camping near the river have been told to leave.
Not much this week on France and Roma. A rumour about people being abducted and of a traffic of human organs involving Roma spread through France. Las time such a rumour occurred, Roma were victims of attacks. Other than that, three camps closed near Paris, one in Lyon, and in Montpellier, apparently some success at integration.
A new spectacle by the Romanes Circus in Paris.
Pretty usual week in France on Roma. An exhibition on the Romanian slavery of Roma in Nantes; near Paris, Roma are getting support for them to stay in a camp near Bobigny from their neighbours, an exception; also near Paris, a camp is evacuated; in Lyon, Roma finally get water; two camps closed in the South of France; and finally, several Roma were condemned for having defrauded immigration candidates from the East.
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