Category Archives: France

Frankreich News Westeuropa

Ivry: Pictures of an eviction

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Ivry: Pictures of an eviction

A series of pictures of the eviction of one of the Rroma camps that dot the outskirts of Paris.

In spite of the French focus on these camps and migrants, let’s not forget that these represent less than 20 thousand people whereas there are roughly 500 thousand Rroma in France. So a minority.

Frankreich News Westeuropa

France: 5 years for shooting at burglars

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France: 5 years for shooting at burglars

René Gallinier, the retired Frenchman who shot at two teenage Rroma burglars a while back was sentenced to 5 years of prison, 4 of which on probation. As we already reported, he shot and wounded two girls who were robbing his house and his trial generated quite a buzz in the French press.

This is a mild sentence for something that easily could have resulted in a death.

 

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Travellers, Rroma, Sinti, Jenische

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Travellers, Rroma, Sinti, Jenische

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…

Frankreich News Westeuropa

Schools, children, expulsions …

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Schools, children, expulsions …

Meanwhile in France, the usual expulsions, defence, squats still make the headlines. In the University of Paris 8, the right for children to go to school is at the centre; in Ivry, near Paris, 73 families have to leave their camp; in the South West, two families are also expulsed; while in the Paris region, tensions are reported near a Rroma camp.

Frankreich News Westeuropa

Lille, Martine Aubry, and Rroma

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Lille, Martine Aubry, and Rroma

A controversy in France regarding Martine Aubry the mayor of the Northern city of Lille: This socialist ex-minister reportedly consulted Rroma migrants on the issues they are facing. According to one of them, she “saw us, did what she wanted to do, and kicked us out”… So much for empathy and socialist ideals.

Frankreich News Westeuropa

Trial in France

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Trial in France

The trial of René Galinier, 78 years old pensioner in France, accused of having deliberately shot two young Rroma burglar girls back in 2010 opened this week. This resulted in a number of articles in the press in France.

One needs to ask the question whether the fact that the burglars were Rroma is relevant here beyond just putting all Rroma in the same pot of the thieves, beggars, etc. The journalists should learn!

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Another Article on the rising tensions in Bulgaria

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Another Article on the rising tensions in Bulgaria

A summary of the events and latest developments in the rising tensions in Bulgaria and on the increasing instrumentalisation of Rroma among rightist parties.

Frankreich News Westeuropa

Meanwhile in France …

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Meanwhile in France …

In France, the summer is the season for expulsions. The reason being that the arguments that children are in school do no longer work due to the fact that the summer holidays have started.

Amnesty reports on this and the general issue of children in Ivry, and in Ris-Orangis in Evry, both near Paris. The last locality, Evry was the municipality that refused burial to a Rroma child a while back, something that is noted in Liberation as being an attack against Rroma. Other news contain the fact that Rosny and Montreuil, near Paris refuse the installation fo Rroma; that in Grenoble, on the initiative of the church and Rroma, a dinner was organised between the two communities; while in Wissous, the situation is getting tense a month after a judge ordered the expulsion.

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EC sees “some progress” in Rroma integration

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EC sees “some progress” in Rroma integration

According to the European commission, EU member countries have made some progress on Rroma integration in the last year. We really do wonder where… Certainly not in Bulgaria, in Hungary, in Romania, all countries where the pendulum is swinging the other way around. And Western Europe is not much better, see France, England etc.

Frankreich News Westeuropa

Children are victims of evictions

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Children are victims of evictions

The newspaper “Le Monde” published two articles on the fate of Rroma children who live in camps are are often the victims of the forced evictions that are the norm under the current government of Valls. For the children, it often means stopping going to school and thus, another failed integration.

Frankreich News Westeuropa

Meanwhile in France …

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Meanwhile in France …

Usual stories in France: An expulsion in Limeil; an upcoming one in Pau; the results of one in Strasbourg where some found a home whereas other did not; another back an forth in the North in Hellemmes; a police action to count Rroma in a camp near Grenoble prior to an upcoming expulsion; an the tragic death of a child in a camp in Lille following a fire. Finally, some Rroma from Montreuil, close to Paris, were present at the vote in the French assembly on the anti-discrimination law.

Frankreich News Westeuropa

France and Camps

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France and Camps

Meanwhile, not much changes in France. Same articles on illegal Rroma camps or squats, on potential expulsions such as in Ivry, where Rroma invited to a party; in the North, in Hellemmes; in St. Etienne in the Loire Region; in the Centre, in St Fargeau; or in the South West.

Meanwhile, L’obs asks the question as to whether the policies of Valls and Hollande regarding the Rroma are not actually rightist ones, and Breizh Info asks itself whether cohabitation with Rroma is possible.

In all, the French Press continues to convey a totally one-sided image of Rroma – of a minority of max. 20 thousands out of the half million Rroma living in France.

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An Anti Rroma Wall between France and Belgium

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An Anti Rroma Wall between France and Belgium

The town of Watrelos in France, right on the Belgian border wants to erect a 2 ½ meter high concrete wall to “protect” its citizen from a camping site for travellers on the other side of the border in the town of Mouscron. The French press is full of several articles on this. Fact is, this is not acceptable in the 21st century in Europe. And these people are Europeans, and to a large extent citizen of Schengen states. A shame for France and for the socialist mayor to the French commune.

Frankreich News Westeuropa

France: Valls wants to close all Rroma camps

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The French Prime Minister stated in an interview that all Rroma camps should be closed. He also insisted that all social measures required by the law are being applied prior such a closure and that the evicted families are followed on.

What a lie

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Further Evictions in France … As usual

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Further Evictions in France … As usual

Meanwhile, evictions continue, and very few of the evicted people are re-lodged as per the directives from the Valls’ government. For example in St.-Fargeau; in Grenoble, where the eviction has been requested by the mayor; and so on…

Meanwhile, in Belgium, there are also calls to re-lodge Rroma, for example in Brussels, in Ixelles, and a bus is being used as a temporary abode for five Slovak Rroma families in Brussels.

Frankreich News Westeuropa

France accused by the UN of having a racist problem

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France accused by the UN of having a racist problem

France has been slammed by a UN report on racism in France. The report, among other states that “The committee is concerned by the recrudescence of hate and xenophobic speech in certain political circles and the media which contribute to the trivialisation of racism and xenophobia”. It cites racism against Jews, Moslems, but also increasingly against Rroma with statements such as the “unbearable smell” of Rroma in public transportation, but also due to police brutality in clearing illegal camps and the breach of the rights to proper lodging when expelled from such camps.

This increase of racism towards minorities is worrisome and not worthy of a country like France. Unfortunately, in the case of Rroma, even people such as the Prime Minister are prone to racist statements – for example when he deemed that Rroma do not and cannot integrate. This has to stop.

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French “Normality”: Summer expulsions

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French “Normality”: Summer expulsions

The French Press is again full of news on forced eviction of illegal Rroma camps in France. This is nearly the only news that is given about Rroma in France.

Several articles are devoted to the evacuation of the camp in Saint-Herblain near Nantes. In this case, these are to a large extent French Rroma / Manouches, and not newer migrants from Romania and Bulgaria.

Other than that, a camp emptied in Argenteuil; another one in Limeil-Brévannes; one in Bonneuil-Limeil; while a Rroma camp is blocking the reconversion of a former prison in Loos; and in Ivry, Rroma are appealing against an imminent expulsion. Finally, Rroma who were recently expulsed are asking the prefect for new lodging, as is required by the French law prior to an eviction.

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