More on the story of the one third of Rroma among Balkan refuges…
The 2nd of August is the official international day of remembrance of the Holocaust on Rroma and Sinti. Several organisations (here just as a sample) are planning commemorations in Germany and Austria.
Another interview with Romani Rose, president of the German central council of Sinti and Roma in the context of the celebrations of the 2nd of August on the Rroma and Sinti Holocaust.
Asylum seekers from so-called safe countries are systematically denied asylum in Germany. This, in spite of the fact that in many of these “safe” countries, the situation is far from stable or peaceful, as the example of Macedonia shows. Kosovo is now under discussion, unfortunately.
Are truly all refugees from the Balkan who request asylum in Germany simply in search of a better life? This is not as simple, as TAZ shows. Many of these refugees are Rroma as noted by the Frankfurter Allgemeine which titles that up to a third of the refugees are from this origin.
Excellent interview of Romani Rose, head of the German Central Council of Sinti and Roma stating that special camps for refugees from the Balkan are simply not acceptable.
The next consul of Romania in Bonn, Germany (and the former capital) is a Rrom. Should not be a surprise, as they are indeed integrated Rroma, but nevertheless nice.
An article about the cohabitation of “gens du voyage” – the French version of Travellers, and Rroma. Travellers is used in France to denote both non-Rroma as well as Manouches and other local travelling Rroma, while Rroma (Roms in France) is a term that is only used to denote the “foreigners”. This is a remake of the Sinti and Rroma that we know from Germany, although all are Rroma.
Again a case of a Rroma wedding near Zurich were roughly 70 caravans gathered to celebrate a wedding. These travelling Rroma are from France and Germany (with a corresponding passport) and are members of a pentacostal church. A farmer rented them his land for 5’000 Swiss Francs. People in the village are annoyed and are asking why nothing is being done by the police.
A typical controversy, including the fact that people defecate in the open, and thus befoul the region and adjacent wood.
But the WORST are the commentaries: Bigots and racists seem to love these news.
Around 600 people – mostly Rroma – protested in Hamburg against the deportation of refugees back to their home countries, a policy Germany now strictly enforces for so-called “safe” countries. That these countries are not so safe and secure if you are part of a minority seems not to be taken into account, thus actually violating the rights of the refugees.
Let’s hope this will show results!
A further article on the Dachau Theatre project, a project fighting stereotypes and played by Rroma and Sinti children. That this play is staged in Dachau, the site of one of the earliest concentration camps in Germany is really symbolically important.
According to the Council of Europe, and this in spite of what populist politicians claim, there has been no “invasion” of Rroma from Bulgaria and Romania since citizen from these countries have been granted free circulation within the EU. The Council of Europe criticises the “unfounded” numbers cited by the press in the migration debate in several European countries, such as the UK, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.
We wholeheartedly agree!
An article on a Rrom who fled Leskovac in Serbia and is now in Germany. He has few chances to stay as Germany has decreed Serbia to be a safe country, but still hopes he can stay.
Another theatre representation in Worms (Germany) on the persecutions of the Rroma during the Nazi times.
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…
An exhibition of the persecution of Rroma in Germany over the last 500 years opened recently in Ludwigsburg. Worth seeing!
An article about a Rroma family from Kosovo which are due to be deported back to Kosovo.
First news since a long time in the Swiss Press about “foreign travellers”, i.e. Rroma. 500 of them camped in a village in Thurgau, North East of Zurich, to celebrate a wedding. Finally they left as one of the members of the group die in a car accident in Germany and the wedding was cancelled.
The journalist was not particularly sensitive: He used the word “Sippe” [clan], said that people were afraid that the same issues as a fews years back in the French speaking part of Switzerland would occur, etc. In brief, he or she regurgitated the usual stereotypes. Shame.
An article on a Rroma family from Serbia who had asked for asylum in that country and now faces deportation back to Serbia. Germany, since it declared Serbia to be a safe country now regularly deports Rroma from that country who ask for asylum.
An article on the schooling of Sinti children in the housing estate “Maro Temm” [our land] in the city of Kiel. Sinti children in Germany often don’t finish school, are often absent, and generally have a low education level. The article highlights some of the reasons.
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