Daily Archives: Juli 5, 2013

05.07.2013 The French Policies on Rroma

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Libération (2013) reports on the polemical statements of the Honorary President o the Front National, Jean-Marie Le Pen, father of the current President Marie Le Pen. Le Pen described France as a Wild West, which is conquered by westward migrating Rroma, a migration that will certainly increase from the beginning of 2014, when the new EU Persons Agreement enters into force. For Nice alone, he predicts an influx of 50,000 Rroma at least in 2014. With these statements, he trumped all forecasts and politicians who speak of a mass migration to obtain welfare in Western European countries. That migration is not only a result of economic circumstances, but may also have causes such as social disintegration, political hostility or lack of training opportunities and, that due to the local and family integration of the people, cannot be seen simply seen as a lump mass exodus. Politicians who argue by the logic of national methodologies, and to reduce people to economical and social factors, massively simplify the complexity of human interactions and motivations.

The forced evictions of informal Rroma camps continues. Dufresne (2013) reports on the official closure of one of the largest Rroma camps in Southern Lille, which is planned for mid-September 2013. On the grounds where the camp is located, a factory of the shoe company “Essensol” is being planed. As part of ​​the evacuation plan, the surface of the camp is is gradually being curbed. Between 500 and 800 people live in the area. Desplos (2013) informs on the eviction of an occupied house in Bacalan in Bordeaux. Residents will be handed over to the French immigration authorities and returned to their home countries. To prevent the re-claiming of the granted return assistance, the deported people are being registered in a database with biometric data. The inhabitants of a neighbouring camp are luckier: They are enjoying social help to assist them in integrating into the labour market and in the search for their own accommodation.

Radio France Internationale (2013) addresses the broader, government evictions of slums and squats in France. As detailed in other articles, Radio France criticised the discrepancy between the statements of politicians on integration and the effective implementation of the plans. Thus, the circular letter of August, 2012, which asked for a better information residents of the camps and timely organization of alternative accommodation, is almost never applied. Pascale Quiviy of “Terre solitaire” criticised that the political will of several ministers to integrate Rroma better is being frustrated by the French Interior Minister. He appealed in this regard to greater conformity with the party programs that should be applied by elected representatives: “Pour le ministère de l’Intérieur, montrer sa fermeté est important, et il est populaire pour ça. Mais il y  a un manque de courage de la part de la majorité pour mettre en vigueur des valeurs sur lesquelles pourtant la majorité a été élue. Des valeurs de solidarité, d’ouverture, de tolérance, donc une bonne politique courageuse serait de prendre ces sujets à bras le corps et agir.[For the interior ministry, to show firmness is paramount and he is popular for that reason. But there is a lack of courage on the side of the majority to implement the values for which they were actually elected. Values of solidarity, openness, tolerance, so values that good and courageous policies should grab and act on.]

The politician Nicolas Dupont-Aignan and the Schauspierin Caroline Vigneaux argued in the show “Salut les Terriens!” on the question of the integration of Rroma in France. While Vigneaux took a social-democratic perspective of the protectionist, humanistic state, Dupont-Aignan took a generalising culturally justified negative position. He used the oftenheard, false analogy of a link between Rroma culture and the delinquency of members of this minority. He further criticized Romania’s inability to integrate Rroma successfully despite EU aid and called the Romanian state as being corrupt (Lambert 2013).

François (2013) emphasizes that around 5,000 Rroma of informal settlements or occupied houses were evicted in the second quarter of 2013. This represents about a quarter of the estimated 20,000 Rroma in France, although the reliability of this figure is highly doubtful. Other estimates go from 100,000 to 500,000 Rroma in France. However, these estimates are not only based on the so-called “visible” Rroma living in slums or occupied houses, but also the “invisible” ones, who live more or less well integrated in France. Demands for more efforts to integrate Rroma versus demands for massive deportations back to Romania and other countries of origin continues to divide the views.

Sources:

  • Desplos, Jean-Michel (2013) Bordeaux: le squat de Roms se vide. In: Sud-Ouest online vom 4.7.2013. 
  • Dufrense, Arnaud (2013) Lille-Sud : le camp des familles roms de la rue de Marquillies sera évacué à la mi-septembre. In: La Voix du Nord online vom 4.7.2013.
  • François, Jean-Baptiste (2013) Plus de 5 000 Roms évacués, en France, au deuxième trimestre 2013. In: La Croix online vom 4.7.2013.
  • Lambert, Maxime (2013) Salut les Terriens : Nicolas Dupont-Aignan et les Roms. In: Gentside online vom 29.6.2013.
  • Libération (2013) A Nice, Jean-Marie Le Pen dérape sur les Roms. In: Libération online vom 4.7.2013.
  • Radio France International (2013) France: les évacuations de campements de Roms continuent sans relogement. In: Radio France International online vom 29.6.2013. 

05.07.2013 Rroma Debate in Germany

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Maibaum (2013) reports on the changing social policy in Essen. To reduce economic incentives, in the future, the city will help needy migrants only in kind and not with money. The influx of economic refugees is thus to be minimised. In his representation of the new model of social help, Maibaum reproduces very uncritically racist statements when he states: “It is a three-stage model that divides the people who come to Essen in two classes: those that will be obliged to leave, such as the Roma from Serbia and Macedonia, and those who have a chance of a future life in this city.” Why Rroma from Serbia and Macedonia should have no chance at a future in Essen, is not explained. That Rroma are not just economic refugees but also are political refugees especially from countries such as Serbia due to the aftermath of the war in Yugoslavia or due to the ongoing ethnic discrimination they are faced with, is not discussed in this article.

Langenkämpfer (2013) informs about an event of the Bündnisses 90 and the Green, under the theme “Equal opportunities! Sinti and Roma in education”. The meeting participants criticised in particular the constant discrimination of many Rroma in Europe. In addition to the social, political, and increasingly violent pressure brought to bear on the Rroma, one needs to consider a social anchoring of prejudices among broad sections of the population. The North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Education Sylvia Löhrmann asked in her speech for less thinking about “order” and for more heterogeneity.

Kotte (2013) focuses on the efforts of Romeo Franz who wants to be elected as the first Sinto in the German Bundestag. Franz is known amongst others for training for argument against rightist slogans and ideas. His candidacy is viewed as a transformation of German society, with regard to recognition of its minorities. He also wants to acts against election statements such as the idea that all immigrants from Southeast Europe are economic refugees who only want to take advantage of the German social welfare system. In these simplistic representations, the fact that there also are educated immigrants, as well as a migration due to social deprivation or brutal discrimination remains unspoken. Particular concerns for Frank are the promotion of education, social inclusion and the political participation of Rroma in Germany. Another problem he sees is that one often talks about the Rroma, but seldom talks with them. He states: “We want equality of opportunity in employment, housing and health care. In Germany, there are huge deficits in the perception of the problems, as well in the programs supporting Roma. The European Commission last report has shown it again, and that was a red card for Germany. For the Foundation named after the Holocaust survivor and human rights activist Hildegard Lagrenne, where around 30 organisations of Roma and Sinti have teamed up, this is also a consequence that one often talks about us, but not with us.”

Poley (2013) reports on a meeting of the Rroma organisations “Rroma Drom” and “Terno Drom” in Duisburg. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the role of young Rroma in Germany. Representatives of the organisation are committed to an improved perception of Rroma and, based on a more self-determined presentation of Rroma in German society.

Goebels (2013) reports on the plans of schools in North Rhine-Westphalia to support regular teachers with teachers with knowledge of Rromanes or Bulgarian. Through the establishment of special remedial classes, the language skills and the integration of newcomers should be encouraged. In particular, the cities of Duisburg, Cologne and Dortmund, according to German statistics, record a high influx of Romanians and Bulgarians, who are often identified collectively as Rroma in public discourse.

Sources:

  • Goebels, Wilfried (2013) NRW-Ministerium sucht Roma-Lehrer für Zuwandererkinder. In: Der Westen online vom 2.7.2013.
  • Kotte, Hans-Hermann (2013) Der Sinit-Kandidat. In: Migazin online vom 3.7.2013.
  • Langenkämpfer, Jürgen (2013) “Gleiche Chancen! Sinti und Roma in der Bildung”. In: Mindener Tageblatt vom 3.7.2013.
  • Maibaum, Jörg (2013) Stadt Essen will Roma-Zuzug aus wirtschaftlichen Gründen bremsen. In: Der Westen online vom 5.7.2013.
  • Poley, Volker (2013) Roma als Teil unserer Gesellschaft sehen. In: RP online vom 1.7.2013. 

05.07.2013 Police Operation against Rroma in Moldava nad Bodvou

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Vilikovská (2013) provides information about a police operation against Rroma in Moldava nad Bodvou, in eastern Slovakia. Critics accused the police to have acted out based on racist motives. The local police chief relativised this accusation and stated that this was an action targeting the arrest of specific individuals and looking for sought objects. He described the reports of the brutality of the police as false, half-wrong or misleading. The civil organization Project Slovensko replies that about thirty people, including children and newborns, were injured during the operation.

Source:

  • Vilikovská, Zuzana (2013) Gašpar: Police raid on Moldava nad Bodvou was not revenge against Roma. In: The Slovak Spectator online vom 4.7.2013. 

05.07.2013 Anti-Rroma Pogroms in the Czech Republic

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Schmidt (2013) discusses pogroms against Rroma in Ceske Budejovice, South Bohemia. Decisive for the current outburst was the dispute between a Rroma child and an ethnic Czech child  who have been said to have been arguing in a sandbox about toys. The dispute spread to the parents and then included the neighbourhood who a stand against the Rroma mother. Around 22,000 people and several dozen Rroma live in the affected area of Ceske Budejovice. Last Saturday, groups of neo-Nazis tried to find the local Rroma and to lynch them. In the subsequent street battle with the police, the right-wing radicals were cheered on by “decent” citizens.

Mostyn (2013) adds that around 1,000 right-wing extremists marched into the settlement of Maj, where the majority of Budweis’ Rroma live. Mostyn describes the cause of the march as a brawl between Rroma and ethnic Czechs,  and he states that the dispute between the children represents only a single case in a series of mutual hostilities. On the same day, residents of both communities in a common celebration asked for the end of mutual hostilities.

It is worrying that it is the pogrom in Ceske Budejovice is not an isolated case. The events in Budweis are rather part of a chain of regularly recurring demonstrations against Rroma in the Czech Republic. The last right-wing rally was in the North Bohemian Duchcov (Dux) (Prager Zeitung 2013).

Source:

  • Mostyn, Alexandra (2013) Pogromstimmung gegen Roma. In: TAZ online vom 1.7.2013.
  • Prager Zeitung (2013) 39 Festnahmen bei Anti-Roma-Demo in Budweis. In: Prager Zeitung online vom 30.6.2013.
  • Schmidt, Hans-Jörg (2013) Neonazis stürmen Wohnviertel, um Roma zu lynchen. In: Die Welt online vom 30.6.2013. 
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