Daily Archives: November 1, 2014

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01.11.2014 Romani Rose condemns migration policy towards Rroma

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In a recent statement, Romani Rose, chairman of the central council of German Sinti and Rroma, criticised the repressive migration and asylum policy towards Rroma from Eastern Europe. 25 years after the end of the Soviet bloc, a new wall between East and West Europe menaces to emerge, fuelled by xenophobic policies and corresponding migration measures, particularly aimed against Rroma: “25 years after the fall of the wall, Romani Rose, chairman of the central council of German Sinti and Roma, cautions against a new division of Europe – at least for the members of his minority. The debate about the so-called poverty migration, which took place on the back of the Roma, has led to the situation in Eastern Europe “that someone with dark eyes and dark hair is arrested on the border”, Rose said during a visit to the of Bundestag Vice-President Claudia Roth (Green) at Central Council in Heidelberg. […] For the Roma of the Balkans, Roth called for a rapid improvement in the situation. “We must begin by acknowledging that there is a group-specific persecution: these people are persecuted and discriminated against because they are Roma”, Roth said. About the last point, however, there is no consensus. While most experts agree that Rroma are affected by severe economic hardship and discrimination in everyday life, there is no consensus on an ethnic-related persecution. This is disputed by various parties, which refer to the long, historically documented integration of Rroma in Eastern Europe. Comprehensive, objective studies on the situation of Rroma since the end of the Soviet bloc, about the rise of nationalism and the Yugoslav wars, which massively altered the socio-political situation – and renewed and ethnic divisions – are rare. Rose also expressed the wish that a museum about the Rroma history should be opened in Berlin. The monument alone conveys too little background knowledge about the history of exclusion and persecution of the minority, he stated (Rhein-Neckar Zeitung 2014).

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01.11.2014 Lille: informal Rroma settlement evicted

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Duthoit/Dufresne (2014) report on the eviction of an informal Rroma settlement in Lille. The camp accommodated about 30 people, who lived in sixteen caravans. The site was evicted at the request of the owner of the property, the Société Publique Locale. A comprehensive social diagnosis, which would have ensured the future accommodation of the families, was not applied: “A new evacuation of a Roma camp took place this Tuesday. The police operation began at 7:30 on the Rue de la chaude-Rivière, between Fives and the casino, and lasted three hours. The Roma were installed under the bridge of a bypass. As with any eviction of this type, the same scenes with families in extreme poverty were repeated; they find themselves on the street. In total, thirty people were evicted. “I do not know where we will go, moaned a family man. My five children are enrolled in school in Lille, what shall they do?” Regarding the sixteen caravans, which served as accommodation: the majority was in poor condition and were pulled onto the road by tow trucks.” – It must be emphasized that the evictions of the informal settlements massively complicate the long-term integration of the Rroma immigrants. Due to the expulsions, the existing problems and the integration question are simply moved from one location to the next, but not resolved. Particularly affected are children attending school, who are disturbed by the expulsions in their school curiculum and therefore in their future careers. Furthermore, with the media focus on the informal settlements, one creates impression that there are only lower class Rroma who are poorly educated. According to estimates of the Rroma Foundation, 100,000 to 500,000 Rroma live integrated and unobtrusively in the French society. They are completely ignored by the French public. The Rroma living in informal settlements, who recently immigrated from Eastern Europe – about 15,000 to 20’0000 people – only constitute a minority of all Rroma resident in France (compare Libert 2014, Nord Eclair 2014).

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01.11.2014 Future of displaced Rroma from Bobigny remains unclear

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Metro News (2014) reports on the current status of around 60 Rroma, who, since the evacuation of the informal Rroma settlement of Bobigny, are without a permanent housing. The families were accommodated in the first night in a gymnasium of Paris, later they were assigned to urban emergency shelters. However, they can stay there only for up to 15 days. Therefore, little time for a new social diagnosis of the persons affected and their needs is left. Rroma aid-organizations criticise the lack of initiative of the authorities to organise alternative accommodations for the expellee: “Saimir Mil, president of the organization “La voix des Roms”, was questioned by Metronews on Monday: he criticised a lack of dialogue “on part of the authorities.” And nourished the worry about permanently available solutions that should be proposed to the expellee. However, the mayor of Paris assures that “extra care regarding solutions for accommodation” is applied, in order to be able to offer them to the persons in need. The dossier is now in the hands of the prefecture.In addition, the municipality of Paris supported not all residents of the camp of Coquetiers. “At least as many are outdoors today”, Saimir Mile announced.” These are the people that were scattered during the evacuation last Monday. Some of them have taken parts of the camp into possession again in the last days, as one could note.” – It must be emphasised that the forced evictions of informal settlements significantly complicate a long-term integration of Rroma immigrants. Due to the expulsions, the existing problems and the integration question are simply moved from one location to the next, but not resolved. Particularly affected are children attending school. The uncompromising evictions are an expression of a failed social policy of the French state, which does not build on integration and support, but on exclusion and expulsion. In addition, through the media focus on informal settlements it is suggested that there are only lower class Rroma who are poorly educated. However, according to assessments of the Rroma Foundation, 100,000 to 500,000 Rroma are living integrated and unobtrusively in French society. They belong to all social strata and are completely negated by the French public. The Rroma who recently immigrated to France from Easter Europe and are living in the informal settlements – about 15,000 to 20’0000 people – therefore constitute only a minority of all Rroma resident in France (compare Côté 2014).

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