Category Archives: News Western Europe

Reaction against AfD

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Reaction against AfD

The German AfD party publicly humiliated Roma individuals in Gelsenkirchen by forcing them to clean the streets, which sparked a response from the art exhibition “Radikale Hoffnung” that addresses resistance against racism.

The exhibition features works by Roma artists, including Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, who highlights the struggles of Roma women against discrimination, and Selma Selman, who critiques societal exclusion through performance art. The exhibition emphasizes the importance of collective action and social justice, linking historical labor struggles to contemporary issues of marginalization and identity loss.

Crime in Greece

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Crime in Greece

According to this article, over 70% of criminal organizations in Greece are composed of Roma, raising concerns about crime rates. Most of these organizations are involved in burglaries, highlighting the need for targeted police actions.

Authorities are urged to investigate the underlying causes of this crime and enhance prevention efforts to restore public trust.

These are basically statements without concrete proofs, stigmatising a minority in Greece.

Roma Settlements

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Roma Settlements

The article discusses the challenges of demolishing illegal Roma settlements in Greece due to international human rights protections that require alternative housing solutions before eviction. It raises questions about the definition of homelessness, the effectiveness of integration policies, and the potential for new settlements to emerge if current ones are not addressed properly.

Concerns are expressed about the social exclusion faced by the Roma community and the adequacy of existing relocation and integration programs in Patras.

Greece and Roma

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Greece and Roma

The number of articles about crime and Roma in the Greek press is horrendous. Not a day passes without 5 or more articles about crimes committed by Roma in Greece.

The show “Autopsia” ‘investigates’ crime among the Roma community, revealing the realities within their settlements. Host Antonis Sroiter interviews Roma individuals about police raids, weapons, drugs, and electricity theft. The program explores the prevalence of Roma in criminal groups and their shift from theft to phone scams, alongside personal stories and police statistics.

Basically, it portrays all Roma as criminals. Bad.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

Not much in terms of news, but a very large number of articles about a fire in a former camp of Roma that was evacuated recently. The other topic, speaks about the “calvary” of an owner whose property has been squatted by Roma.

Burgenland Roma

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Burgenland Roma

A lesser-known chapter of Burgenland’s Roma history will be discussed at an event organized by the Roma Adult Education Center in Burgenland. The event titled “Myth of the Reichsautobahn: Forced Labor and Suffering of Romnja and Roma from Burgenland” will feature writer and historian Ludwig Laher.

The event is scheduled for Friday, June 19, at 7 PM at the OHO – Open House Oberwart.

Greece and Roma

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Greece and Roma

One of the typical articles about Roma in Greek press. When they are not stealing, then, underage forced weddings are the norm…

The article says that a 16-year-old girl escaped from her 30-year-old husband in a Roma settlement in Neapolis after being forced into marriage against her will about 40 days prior.

The husband was found guilty of domestic violence and threats but acquitted of physical harm, receiving a 17-month suspended sentence. The girl testified that he physically restrained her and threatened her, while he denied any wrongdoing, claiming he loved her and did not understand her fear.

Romanian Roma in Germany

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Romanian Roma in Germany

The article discusses the integration challenges faced by Romanian Roma in Germany, emphasizing the need for tailored public policies that address their specific vulnerabilities and circumstances. It highlights the differences between the historical Sinti community and recent Roma migrants from Eastern Europe, stressing the importance of recognizing these distinctions in policy-making. The author calls for collaborative efforts between Germany and Romania to enhance educational and mentoring programs, aiming for genuine inclusion and dignity for the Roma community.

Romano Dikipe

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Romano Dikipe

In this issue, Romano Dikipe accompanies the Roma-Service association during their move to the new House of Ethnic Groups in Oberwart; report on the new book by Herbert Brettl; as well as on the planned location for the central memorial for Roma and Sinti in Vienna; attended the event “Literature on the Ring” and is once again in search of traces of vanished Roma settlements in Burgenland.

London Exhibition

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London Exhibition

The Museum of Homelessness (MOH), part gallery, part support hub, part perennial meadow, is hosting an exhibition entitled ‘ Criminal: An Untold Story of Homelessness, Resistance and Survival.’ which maps 400 years of criminalisation of homelessness and nomadic lives, with 10 Foot, Matt Bonner, Spelling Mistakes Cost Lives, and Surfing Sofas, in an exhibition that was co-curated and built by MOH’s members.

Concentration Camp

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Concentration Camp

Within the grounds of Coudrecieux castle (Sarthe), the ruins of a World War II internment camp for “nomads” still remain. On My 31st, associations of itinerant citizens called for it to be listed as a historical monument.

French Chronicle …

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French Chronicle …

The usual in the French press about Roma camps. A mayorof the town of Riys-Orangis, near Paris, pledges that no more Roma camops will be tolerated. And in another set of news, a yong man was found dead in a Roma camp after an overdose.

AI and Appleby Horse Fair

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AI and Appleby Horse Fair

It seems that the UK police is deploying AI face recognition during the Appleby horse fair to catch “troublemakers”.

That this is being done suggests that there is a preconcieved idea that travellers are troublemakers … Bad.

Małgorzata Mirga-Tas

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Małgorzata Mirga-Tas

An article in the Greek press on the Romani artist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas about her current exhibition in Copenhagen.

With Polish citizenship and Roma origins, visual artist and activist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas is one of Europe’s most important and freshest contemporary artistic voices. Born in 1978, the artist represented Poland at the 59th Venice Biennale in 2022, becoming the first Roma artist ever to participate with national representation in the event.

Germany: Increased Discrimination

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Germany: Increased Discrimination

Significantly more cases of discrimination, denigration, insults, and violence against Sinti and Roma have been registered with the Reporting and Information Center for Antigypsyism (MIA) in Rhineland-Palatinate. The number rose by 41 to 100 incidents last year. However, there is a high number of unreported cases, said MIA board member Christian Kling in Mainz.

Bulgarian Roma in Germany

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Bulgarian Roma in Germany

According to this Bulgarian article, there are neighbourhoods in two small German towns entirely composed of Roma from Vidin, Bulgaria. Apparntly, neighbours are not so fond, and still according to the article, “quite a few of them, together with the Romanian Roma, are involved in some criminal scheme and often have problems with the local authorities”.

No comments, apart that some actual journalistic work would be nice …

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