The French newspaper Liberation followed a young Rroma Child from Bulgaria and his family over a period of 6 months, documenting the illegal camps, expulsions, the social housing, etc. A face to the current plight of ca. 20’000 Rroma in France.
A television in part in Rromanes, in the middle of the French capital. The television was established in 2012 by a Rroma from Macedonia who lives in France, and the television aims at helping Rroma to integrate better in French society. The TV chanel is called after the Šutka, the largest Rroma settlement in Skopje.
A reportage on French TV, prime time.
A reportage on Rroma drug addicts in Bucharest and on the lack of help that they face. Not even clean needles are available for all, resulting in a high rate of infections such as HIV and hepatitis C. Many of the addicts come from the infamous “orphanages”.
A MUST read.
Bulgarian protesters from the village of Garmen deposited a petition in Sofia with 720 signatures against the postponement of the demolition of illegal building in the village. These protesters want all Rroma houses destroyed immediately.
A shame, and a solution should be found to regularise these houses now.
A movie of the life of the Polish Rroma poetess Papusza. For those who knew her or still know her family and friends, there are a few “historical” mistakes in the movie, but by and large, it reflects her tragic life.
A pity that the music of the movie is absolutely dreadful.
Some news of the camps in France: In Bagnolet, near Paris, Bulgarian Rroma buried a man and his daughter who died during a fire; in Roubaix, in the North, activists take 60 Rroma to the sea; in Loos, also in the North, an article about the street with a prison, a Rroma camp and an unused land; while in Vaulx-en-Vélin, near Lyon, cohabitation seems to be difficult; and finally the MRAP (Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié entre les peoples) denounces what they deem a “real harassment” of Rroma in Lyon.
A lengthy feature article of the BBC on the tensions and issues in the village of Garmen, in Bulgaria.
A new book about the Bulgarian Rroma migration to Italy called “the Silent Migration” was recently published in Italy. The article and book reviews the situation of these migrants in various parts of Italy.
A worthy read!
A Rromni from Romania who emigrated to Ireland in 2008 and supported herself with begging and food vouchers is claims the Irish department of social protection refusal to pay her welfare benefits including child support breaches EU law. The department, on its side, claims that it did so on the “right to reside” test basis, i.e. that she de facto has no legal right to stay in Ireland in the first place.
Something to follow. But regardless of the results, a negative publicity for Rroma, as they are often accused to come to the UK and Ireland to cash in social benefits.
A chilling review of the annexation of Austria with the support of the overwhelming part of the population, and the history of Austria under the Nazis. Besides the Austrian soldier deaths (ca. 270’000) in Eastern Europe and Russia, Austrian minorities got decimated: From around 190’000 Austrian Jews, 65’459 were killed in the Holocaust, while from the roughly 11’000 Rroma (Burgenland and Sinti), at least 7’000 perished. These latter numbers are to be taken with caution, as no one really knew how many Rroma there were, and the German did not keep tabs on field executions or gas chambers.
The story of a migrant from Romania, who, before he managed to get a job with the RATP (Paris Transport Authority), was camping on the place de la République in Paris. He reports on his life and how he managed slowly and step by step to find his footing in Paris.
Worth reading!
The European court of Justice has issued a warning against the Bulgarian electricity company which installed electric meters at a height that renders them inaccessible, this in a predominantly Rroma part of Dupnitsa. According to the court of justice, this constitutes “ethnic discrimination”.
In a further escalation of the conflict in Garmen, around 150 residents from Garmen staged a protest in Sofia to request the demolition of 120 “illegal” Rroma houses in their village.
This escalation of an already festering problem will not resolve anything, and is providing ammunition to populist politicians on the overall minority “issue” in Bulgaria.
This has to stop!
For a change, something that is not in the news. A video, 28 minutes, on Polish Rroma in 1964, just before they were forbidden to travel. While it is definitively edited and in parts staged (see the chicken scene), we know several of the people who are seen in the movie… And yes, it was like this.
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.
US Holocaust educators from Florida visited Lithuania to share and develop strategies on some of the controversial aspects (i.e. local participation) of the Holocaust; to better understand what happened in Lithuania; to learn international law; to understand prejudices and to fight against them. On prejudice, they will also discuss the one against Rroma. Let’s see!
The OSCE has been urging Bulgaria to halt the evictions of Rroma in the village of Garmen. Gerge Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODHIR) also added: “Politicians should lead by example and refrain from anti-Roma rhetoric to gain support from the electorate.”
We agree wholeheartedly!
A delegation of British police officers has been visiting the Rroma settlement of Jarovnice in Eastern Slovakia to understand the issues faced by Rroma in Slovakia and the ones that they face when migrating to other countries.
An interesting interview of Nezdet Mustafas, the Rroma minister without portfolio of the Macedonian government on the motivations of refugees and the situation of Rroma in Macedonia in general. To take with a grain of salt, as Mustafas is working for the ultra nationalistic current government of Macedonia.
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