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14.06.2013 Rroma Debate in Germany

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Schelp (2013) provides information on the work of so-called Rroma mediators, who in Germany mediate between teachers and newly enrolled Rroma children. One of them is Valentina Asimovic. She helps a teacher in Berlin-Kreuzberg in her work with a class without any knowledge of German. The quoted sociologist Christoph Leucht sees a lack of education amongst many immigrant families. A majority of families rate the importance of education as low, because they themselves only enjoyed minimal training. To counterbalance this view into is important in order to offer the largest possible selection of options for the future of the children. In this perspective, one needs to add, that by no means all immigrants are from educationally disadvantaged social strata. There are also very educated immigrants, but not in the spotlight of media attention. That all parents want to marry off their daughters early and send their sons as early as possible to work also needs to be relativised. The work of the mediators has proved to be very helpful. They are far more than mere translators. They help in conflicts between teachers, students and their families and enable better integration of all involved. In spite of the positive perspective, the article does not succeed to alleviate many stereotypes about the supposed backwardness of Rroma. The impression remains that the great part of them consists of illiterates and women willing to bear child. The article ends with the not really positive statement: “A letter would make no sense: the Roma parents often cannot read it.”

Köhler (2013) covers the same subject with a focus on the “Welcome Class” for Rroma children in Neukölln. Already in the beginning of the article, she falls article in ethnic faux pas. She attests taht the children do not know what social rules are and how to behave in a group. The focus, however, is the visit of the Romanian Rroma responsible Damian Draghici, who was invited by the local education Councillor Franziska Giffey. Around 800 children from Romania currently go to school in Neukölln. The integration of children was very successful in terms of learning the language and structures. However, there were more problems among the children themselves. Many Rroma children were marginalised by children of Turkish and Arab descent. The centre topic of Damian Draghici’s book is, among others, the question of the inefficient integration policy in Romania: Why do so many subsidies are go unused, and how the bilateral policies on the integration of Rroma can be improved.

Kimmel Fichtner (2010) reported in 2010 about the Amaro Kher school in Cologne. There, Rroma children are prepared for the public schools. The goal is “to break vicious circle of misery, exclusion, lack of education and crime.” A media campaign representing Rroma children as thieves is the cause of the school creation. The city of Cologne then decided together with the association Rom e.V. to support the Amaro Kher school. During a year children are prepared for the have public schools and receive intensive preparatory German courses, learn the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. In addition, they should develop a resilience to difficult situations. According to the insiders, the project has been successful and allows many of the children a better future.

Borchard (2013) covers the situation of Rroma in Romania. He focuses on the fate of Neli Moc, who goes regularly for two months to do harvest work on a farm in Germany. With the money earned there – about 2,000 euro – she can live relatively well for the rest of the year: “Neli Moc is an example that most Romanians, also those from the poorest backgrounds, come to work in Germany quite legally.” As contrast, Borchard tells the story of the Grozav family. According to the mother, they went to France because of paid return assistance of 300 euro per person and stayed there several weeks. The short article concludes with the statement: “One thing is clear among Roma families in Apoldu de Sus [Romania]. As long as the conditions do not improve in Romania, they will keep trying to come to Germany or France either as harvesters, or in the hope of doctors visits or return premiums.”

Bogdal (2013) begins his article on the Rromadebatte with a quote from Thomas Mann. He set firmly in 1945: “A nation, with whom no one can live, how can it live itself” Thomas Mann did not mean anything about Rroma, but was speaking about Germans. After the end of the Nazi regime, many ethnic Germans in in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania, had a real image problem for the residents of their host countries. They were marginalized, displaced and forced to do the simplest work: “Exiled, despised because of their ethnicity, having become homeless, without possessions and shelter. millions [German] moved westward from region to region, suspiciously regarded, often exploited, often forced to beg and to do menial work until they could gain a foothold anywhere. The same could be said of Roma today.” Bogdal sees the fate of Rroma after the collapse of the socialist system as very similar. Many Rroma are attracted away to Western Europe where better economic conditions and less discrimination awaits them, a move encouraged by the removal of borders in the wake of the consolidation of the European Union. Bogdal criticizes that the issue is being hyped as security policy issue, rather than to be accepted as a socio-political challenge to master and to solve bilaterally with the countries of origin.

There follows a paragraph about their migration from India and arrival in Europe. After a short period of acquiescence follows a tradition of exclusion, contempt and negative identity attribution, leading, according to Bogdal to criminalization and ethnicisation of poverty. Since the Enlightenment, they are often described as illiterate with no history, science, and without their own state. Thus, the idea that living together with the Rroma is not possible was consolidated in the minds of many. Even their mere presence is a threat. In this context, phenomena such as mountains of waste, child labour, prostitution or bands of tugs can be described as cultural ones, even though they have nothing to do with culture. Bogdal sees it as a pan-European task to further integration and acceptance of Rroma. This has to happen in Germany but especially in countries with a large Rroma population such as in Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. Bogdal’s article provides knowledgeable and eloquent to information about the situation of Rroma in Europe. He doesn’t present a simplified picture but attempts to address the complexity of the issue itself. We wish for more such articles.

Schmidt (2013) discusses the processing of the Holocaust by the German Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ). The Central Council of German Sinti and Roma has asked the ministry to investigate the discrimination of Rroma by the German post-war justice. Romani Rose, chairman of the Central Council clearly states that “The continuing exclusion and discrimination of our minority at the hand of former perpetrators in their new positions after 1945 continued almost unbroken and shaped the resentment against Sinti and Roma.” He refers to the continuity of the commissions and expert from before and after the war, which were maintained by embedding them within the Justice Department and allowing to continue their anti-minority policies. It was thus possible for the lawyer Franz Maßfeller, despite his support and participation in Nazi racial policies, to continue to work until 1964 after the war in a high position within the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Bauerdick’s (2013) book, “Gypsy: Encounters with unloved people” tries to find a direct path to the world of the Rroma. Bauerdick thinks little of intellectual discourses, deconstructions of external attributions and anti-Gypsy research. He shows to an almost radical pragmatism and, through his many years of research trips, promises to provide a realistic picture of the life of the Roma in Europe. He embarks on this tricky terrain and decidedly does not want to be politically correct. He reproaches the Rroma to lack responsibility. Many have made it so comfortable for themselves to be perceived as victims and have now taken this view as their own. In his very emphatic descriptions of life in the slums, which present Rroma as cheerful as well as apathetic and inactive about their own situation, Bauerdick commits the mistake of excessively culturalising his own experiences and of generalizing. He is generalizing in the preface when he states: “For there is also another truth. After countless meetings in more than twenty years, I remember nary a Rrom who wanted a piece of responsibility for themselves as the root of his misery, never mind who acknowledged it.” Compared to the complexity of the reality of Rroma, he falls short. This reality is not just consisting of Rroma in the slums of Europe, but also includes invisible Rroma in Western European countries, Rroma to which one can not just quickly go with the car and camera due to their integration and blandness. But they form part of the Rroma reality exactly as much as the visible Rroma Rroma, that Bauerdick describes in his book. If you read only Bauerdick’s book and not others such as like Bogdals’s book “Europe invented the Gypsies”, one can believe that all Rroma have many children, live in slums and wait for a better life that never happens.

On the other hand, one must agree with him when he denounces the fact that the reasons for many Rroma’s misery is only being looked at in the structures of society and xenophobia, but not among Rroma themselves. He is certainly right, but he does them wrong when he reduces it only to their own power of action, which is very limited in for many. To say that intellectuals and anti-Gyspsyism researcher do not trust Rroma to do something for themselves, simplifies reality too much. When Günter Grass says that Rroma have no voice, he means their weakness in relation to national policies, but not the ability of individuals to change something about their situation. Also, the statements that intellectuals would only ever see Rroma as victims and deny their own responsibility falls short. These statements do not take into account the evident imbalance of power in society, power consisting of structures, policies and spread of knowledge as well as from individual action. Bauerdick does not do justice to the complexity of these circumstances in his polemical descriptions. When he uncritically cites passages from Karl Gauss’ bok “The dog eaters Svinia”, where Rromakönige, begging gangs and mafia-like structures are described as part of the Rromakultur, he commits the very same mistake against which he actually writes: He ethnicises the poverty phenomena and describes the mutual exploitation of Rroma as a cultural problem.

Sources:

  • Bauerdick, Rolf (2013) Zigeuner: Begegnungen mit einem ungeliebten Volk. München: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt.
  • Bogdal, Klaus-Michael (2013) Leben mit Hass und Verachtung. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung vom 10.6.2013.
  • Borchard, Ralf (2013) Warum Roma nach Deutschland kommen. In: Bayrischer Rundfunk vom 11.6.2013.
  • Kimmel-Fichtner, Tatjana (2010) Eine Schule für Romakinder. In: Zeit online vom 15.11.2010.
  • Köhler, Regina (2013) Neukölln ist in Berlin das Zuhause der Roma-Kinder. In: Berliner Morgenpost vom 14.6.2013.
  • Schelp, David (2013) „Er wird es schon lernen“. In: Die Zeit vom 9.6.2013.
  • Schmidt, Wolf (2013) Roma wollen Geschichte klären. In: Die TAZ vom 10.6.2013. 
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14.06.2013 Rroma Debate in France

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Mouillard / Piquemal (2013) report on the whereabouts of persons displaced from their Rroma camp in Lille. 200 families lived there until last week. The mayor justified the eviction with the statements that the situation in the camp had become unbearable. Both the sanitary conditions, as well as the aggressive begging, prostitution and unsustainable behaviour of the inhabitants of the camps had made the eviction necessary according to Martine Aubry. A circular from the government from 12 August 2012 defines the exact procedures of such an evacuation. This includes the construction of sanitation facilities for displaced people and securing the supply of water and other necessities. Mouillard / Piquemal criticise the caricature representation of Rroma from the authorities.

In Villeneuve d’Ascq, after a series of burglaries, on arrived at a pogrom like situation of the initiated by residents who protested against the presence of Rroma. The Mayor of Villeneuve d’Ascq sees the socio-political situation in his district as poisoned by the presence of Rroma and relativises the humanitarian perspective identifying them as victims of exclusion and racism: “Citoyens européens roumains et bulgares, ils ne sont pas des réfugiés qui fuient une guerre ou une dictature mais des populations qui arrivent, s’installent n’importe où, construisent n’importe quoi, sans respect d’aucune loi ou règlements. Ils n’habitent pas Villeneuve d’Ascq. Ils s’y installent sans droit ni titre.“ [European citizen from Romania or Bulgaria, they are not refugees fleeing a war or a dictature but populations who arrive, settle anywhere, build anything, without any respect to laws and regulations. They do not live in Villeneuve d’Ascq. They settle there without rights.] He calls for better distribution or Rroma in the distribution between communes and for a nationally organised Rroma policy.

The assistant to the mayor of Strasbourg presents a differentiated position. She fought for the establishment of well equipped temporary housing options. Around 150 families live in caravans in the camp behind Strassburg’s train station. This costs the government around 200,000 euro per year. The mayor of Gardanne, Roger Meï, seized the initiative and built accommodation on a former mining area. Meï sees his action as a counterpoint to the national policies and visions that are seldom followed by concrete action: “On est fiers de ce qu’on a fait. François Hollande a dit il y a quelques mois qu’il ne devait pas y avoir d’expulsion sans solution de relogement, de belles paroles. Nous, on a agi “ [We are proud do what we die. François Hollande said a few months ago, that there should be no expulsions without more permanent lodging solutions. Pretty words. We acted.]

The Assistant Minister of Social Affairs of Bordeaux, Alexandra Siarri, is outraged by the simplifications in the representations of the situation: Either say you that France can’t afford to integrate Rroma and they have to leave, or one sees them as victims to be saved. The situation around the evictions of Rroma camps in France remains a politically charged issue that is abused for electoral purposes and the people of the country are being sensitised about Rroma. The danger is in a strong negative representation with disparaging views towards the Rroma, which is taking place in the French media, representing Rroma almost exclusively in the form of delinquency and poverty.

Nahoum-Grappa (2013) thematise the various forms of racism against the Rroma in Europe. While in Greece, extreme-right parties have gained during the economic crisis and act with physical violence against foreigners and minorities, in France, the evacuation of illegal has become a status quo. This is especially a view from outside that dominates the media and public image, less than concrete knowledge about the life of Rroma in the camps. Nahoum-Grappa takes a clear position against the regulatory practices that she feels are inhuman and anachronistic, and are a form of socially sanctioned state racism. She notes: “Brûler, écraser, massacrer tout cela sous les yeux d’une famille que l’on met à la rue, et ce à chaque fois qu’ils reconstruisent, c’est une pratique barbare d’avant la démocratie. Mise à la rue, la famille traîne avec ballots et enfants. Le corps de la mère reste le seul habitat de l’enfant tout petit. Les hommes et les vieux, le blanc des yeux jaune, tournent dans la jungle de la ville: tous vivent dans un temps historique d’avant l’idée d’égalité.” [Burn, crush, massacre, all under the eyes of a family that is thrown to the street, and this every time they rebuild, is a barbarous practice predating democracy. On the street, the family errs with children and bags. His mother body remains the only housing for a small child. The men and the old ones, the white of their eyes turning yellow, walk around in the city jungle: all live in historic times from before the idea of equality.]

Francetv (2013) reported a Rroma slum in Marseille. The settlement is generating protests by local residents and, according to right-wing politicians, threatens the social peace. A media tempest was caused by a government advisor Didier Réaul, who called on Twitter for physical violence against the Rroma. He had asked for Molotov cocktail to be thrown on the illegal camps. The UMP deputies Guy Teissier described the camp as well as the many other France as a social powder kegs. If no solid measures are to be taken soon, the National Front will get massive increase in votes in the next elections.

Sources :

  • Francetv (2013) Un élu marseillais UMP prône la violence contre les Roms. In: Francetvinfo vom 8.6.2013.
  • Mouillard, Sylvain/ Piquemal, Marie (2013) Roms : quand les mairies expérimentent des solutions concrètes. In: Libération vom 11.6.2013.
  • Nahoum-Grappe, Véronique (2013) Le traitement actuel des Roms est celui d’une Europe oublieuse de ses crimes. In: Le Monde vom 11.6.2013. 
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07.06.2013 Rroma in France

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Damase (2013)  informs about the aspirations of Rroma in Val-de-Marne to be registered for voting. Most of the Rroma living in the camp of Ivry, have been residing there for several years and, at least theoretically, are entitled to voting. However, the problem is obtaining the necessary documents. Most of them have an European identity card but almost no one possesses an official residency confirmation. From the perspective of the supporters of this idea, granting  voting rights would further the integration of Rroma. The Ivry Rroma camp, with about 250 people, is meant to be evicted since two months.

The evictions in France hold continue. Filippi Paoli (2013) reports on the evacuation and resettlement of roughly 60 Rroma from Vieux-Lille. The families could be temporarily accommodated in Rouvignies, Bethune and Calais in a hotel and a rehabilitation foyer. Those affected are not hugely enthusiastic, as they don’t know how long they can remain in the temporary accommodations.

Sources:

  • Damase, Laura (2013) Des Roms tentent de s’inscrire sur les listes électorales d’Ivry. In: France Info vom 7.6.2013.
  • Filippi-Paoli, Sophie (2013) Les Roms évacués du Vieux-Lille relogés à Rouvignies, Béthune et à Calais. In: La Voix du Nord vom 6.6.2013. 
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31.05.2013 Prejudice and Social Realities: Rroma in France

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Vincent (2013) speaks about the prejudices against Rroma found in France. The recurrent protests by residents against members of this minority give him the opportunity to do so. Recently, there was a demonstration against Rroma settling in a country house in Fontainieu. Vincent goes after some stubborn stereotypes that the opponents of Rroma refer to again and again: Aggressive begging, theft, poor hygiene and excessive noise. Regarding aggressive begging, he notes that the opinions of the answers of people cover a broad spectrum. Some massively irritated by the begging of Rroma and describe them as intrusive; others think it is restrained and not conspicuous. Conflicts are the exception. As for children begging, about which some residents complained, none was to be seen, simply because they were in school. Vincent sees the attribution of thefts to Rroma as undifferentiated. The surveys of local residents are often hastily written, and associate Rroma to poverty motivated crime. A resident in an interview stated that: “Je n’en ai jamais pris, mais on les soupçonne. Quand tu as 50 centimes en poche, tu ne fais pas le tour du magasin.“ [I never caught any, but one suspects them. When you have 50 cents in the pocket, you don’t go around the shops] The Police in turn denies that in the case of the crimes in Fontainieu one is dealing exclusively with the acts of Rroma. To note that these houses had been marked with a cross is implausible, because thieve gangs who did this years ago would incriminate themselves. Critics accuse Rroma to be responsible for a marked increase of disease cases, especially tuberculosis. With counter-studies, Vincent dispels this accusation: A local doctor finds no increase in cases of disease. In the centre and north of Marseilles, there will inevitably be more health problems than elsewhere, but this is due to difficult access to health-care and not to ethnic factors. The noise is also clearly more a product of structural conditions in the settlements than a result of cultural factors. Nevertheless prejudices and resentment persist among many residents. One wishes less benevolent policies towards countries of origin, such as Romania, because of the fear of a mass migration, as in other European countries or Western Europe or because one is convinced of the incompatibility of the Rroma culture with the French one.

Metro News (2013) provides information on the whereabouts of some 170 Rroma in Lyon, who, after a fire in a house they occupied, have been accommodated temporarily occupy in the gymnasium of a school. For unexplained reasons, the gym can no longer use as a. Sixty of those affected are being helped by a local program, the rest are literally thrown on the street.

Libération (2013) reports a demonstration of Rroma and people sympathetic to their cause in Paris. The protesters, including many children, have criticised the current practices of the French government who put Rroma on the street without alternative accommodation, who deprives them of the status as an EU citizen or forcefully deports them.

Source:

  • Libération (2013) Manifestation parisienne contre les expulsions de Roms. In: Libération vom 25.5.2013.
  • Metro News (2013) Lyon : que vont devenir les Roms après l’incendie mortel? In: Metro News France vom 30.5.2013. 
  • Vincent, Julien (2013) Tout ce que vous avez toujours voulu savoir sur les Roms… In: Marsactu vom 30.5.2013. 
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24.05.2013 Rroma in the European Union

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Publicly, the German Euro MEP Cornelia Ernst criticized what she deems in her eyes to be poor policies of the EU members towards Rroma. Since the ratification of a Rroma strategy, the EU Commission has undertaken little to effectively achieve the set targets. Currently about 4% of EU Eastern European help is devoted to Rroma. Ernst calls for an active prevention against racism and discrimination towards Rroma, which have increased spectacularly in recent years (Finanzen.net 2013).

Ernst (2013) describes the Rroma in the Czech Republic as the losers of the changes and who lived in modest prosperity prior to 1989. Today, in the Czech Republic, there are about 300 Rroma ghettos while before the changes there were only twelve. Many live in homes for asylum seekers, the unemployment rate exceedingly high at around 90%. She also criticizes the European Rroma strategy as it is not binding and does not foresee any sanctions for non-compliance.

The University of Hildesheim held a seminar on the topic of the participation of Rroma of in public education. The seminar is led by the educationalist Viola B. Georgi and examines the mechanisms of exclusion and inclusion of Rroma, which lead to a weak representation of members of this minority in educational institutions. In addition, there is an exhibition on the Rroma persecution under Nazism (Long 2013).

In a recent publication, Amnesty International (2013) criticizes the non-application of basic human rights for Rroma especially in Hungary and in Kosovo. But countries like Germany are also involved, as they deport members of this minority back to their home countries without actually considering the discriminatory practices. These examples indicate a discrepancy between official country analyses, used to determine the local situation, and the real situation of minorities. The report also criticises illegal evictions in 36 states. It emphasizes the issues of Rromas settlements in France and Italy, which in recent months repeatedly were mentioned in the press and generated attention in politics. Politics are exploiting Rroma camps, especially in nationalist parties (n-tv, 2013).

Romani Rose, chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Rroma criticised the removal of a Holocaust memorial at a school in Wiesbaden. The exhibition presented the deportation of a resident Rroma family and was dismantled a first time in 2006 before being re-instated in 2008. This was brought to attention only through the actions of the school who requested the Documentation Centre of the Sinti and Rroma to remove this exhibition from the list of memorials. Rose criticized the closure of the memorial with the comment that this was an expression of irresponsible handling of history (Mueck-Raab 2013).

Bermeitinger (2013) reports on the construction of a Holocaust memorial in Mainz, which goes back to a commitment of Hildegard Coester. On 6 May 1940,107 Rroma from Mainz were deported according to records and sent to a concentration camp.

Pamperrien (2013) discusses the new non-fiction book by journalist and photographer Rolf Bauerdick. Bauerdick’s book “Gypsies: Encounters with an unpopular minority” is deliberately not politically correct. He distances himself from Klaus-Michael Bogdals thesis of a tradition of exclusion and of being considered alien and instead calls attention to the status of victim that Rroma themselves maintain. They are caught in their own apathy. He is belligerently states: “There is also another truth. I hardly remember a Rom who looked for a piece of responsibility among themselves about the roots of their misery, even less so one who found one.” With his political incorrectness, Bauerdick wants to highlight the need and to encourage Rroma to take their own responsibilities. But he forgets that unilateral action significantly depends on the one the available and structures and that there are very repressive for many Rroma. His simple distinction between real problems and intellectually produced pseudo-problems created by scientists falls short. It discredits the de facto interweaving of real events and social images and thoughts that fuel and spurns each other. Bauerdick is quite right in denouncing abuses among the Rroma themselves, when he speaks of exploitation by usurers who force their own people into prostitution, begging and theft. To use this as the determining discourse and to denotes it to be the dominant form of relationships among Rroma can heavily be doubted. A single journalist simply lacks the capacity for such a study among all Rroma. It perpetuates the picture of misery that he discredits the image of economically successful and inconspicuous, well integrated invisible Rroma. Bauerdick notes:

“All who intensively worked with Roma, have, as soon as this decade was announced[European Decade of Roma Inclusion], said that this would go down the drain. And so it did. It did so because the Roma are not taken seriously. One wants to help them without demanding something of them. This is how you behave towards people from whom you don’t expect anything. For me, this is the most insidious form of discrimination and exclusion at all” (Pamperrien 2013).

Brill (2013) sees the media discourse about Rroma as dominated by commentators who hide their ignorance of Rroma behind negative or positive biases. He refers in his remarks to the book “Poor Rroma, bad Gypsies” written by the Eastern Europe correspondent Mappes-Niediek. In spite their intention to defuse stereotypes,  Brill’s remarks lead to the production of new ones. It states in a generalising fashion “Community and a sense of the State you will be looking in vain. The differences with the majority population are enormous, from the limitations of the Roma language to the divergent conceptions of time and money, past and future, property and business, cleanliness and what is good and important in life.” So Brill constructs a picture of Rroma, which wrongly assumes their incompatibility with European values ​​and habits. He creates an “othering” in the meaning of Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. Whether these views stem from Brill or are versions of Mappes-Niediek views is not clearly apparent. The observations that Rroma look at journalists with suspicion and do not provide reliable information, is critically challenged.

Roucaute (2013) informs about the often contradictory policies of the French authorities towards Rroma. They base their rigorous policy of clearing camps on unacceptable conditions of hygiene and danger of fires that prevails in these settlements. One executed the plans of the minister Manuel Valls, said an official. You have to comply with existing laws. A circular of six ministers of the new government states that “„les opérations de démantèlement des campements illicites (…) sont pleinement légitimes, dès lors qu’elles interviennent en application d’une décision de justice ou pour mettre fin à une situation de danger ou de risque sanitaire immédiat.“ [the operations of removal of illegal camps are fully legitimate as soon as they are the result of the application of a legal decision or in a situation of immediate danger or sanitary risk.] De facto, this is a firmly established policy of the French government since a few months, as it considers the highly visible Rroma camps as negative to the French state and wants to be rid of them. The government invests in the development of infrastructure in Romania, where a portion of the migrated Rroma is originating. Many Rroma in turn see their future in France, however, because they see no future there for them due to the structural conditions in Romania. There are thus conflicting priorities between the bio-political objectives of the French state and the expectations of the Rroma for the future, and these seem unlikely to converge in the near future.

Sources:

  • Bermeitinger, Michael (2013) Stele erinnert an verschleppte Sinti und Roma. In: Allgemeine Zeitung vom 17.5.2013.
  • Brill, Klaus (2013) Von Roma-Slums und “Gipsy Industry”. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung vom 21.5.2013.
  • Ernst, Cornelia (2013) Weil wir Nachbarn sind. In: Neues Deutschland. Sozialistische Tageszeitung vom 24.5.2013.
  • Finanzen.net (2013) Neues Deutschland: Europaabgeordnete Cornelia Ernst kritisiert anhaltende Diskriminierung von Roma in der EU. In: Finanzen.net vom 23.5.2013.
  • Lange, Isa (2013) Seminar untersucht Bildungsteilhabe von Sinti und Roma in Europa / Ausstellung in Hildesheim. In: idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft vom 23.5.2013.
  • N-tv (2013) Roma in Ungarn und im Kosovo sind angeblich nicht sicher Amnesty prangert Flüchtlingspolitik an. In: N-tv Deutschland vom 23.5.2013.
  • Pamperrien, Sabine (2013) Gefangen in der eigenen Apathie. In: Deutschlandradio vom 23.5.2013.
  • Roucaute, Delphine (2013) Roms : à Lyon, l’attitude “schizophrène” des autorités. In: Le Monde vom 23.5.2013.
  • Mück-Raab, Marion (2013) Die Vitrinen-Affäre. In: TAZ vom 22.5.2013.
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17.05.2013 Fire in a Rroma House in Lyon

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The NZZ (2013) reports a fire in a Rroma camp in Lyon. In a vacant office building, 200 Rroma were living temporarily. The building was completely destroyed by the fire, the cause of which remains unclear until now. So far, three deaths, two women and a child were reported.

In recent months in France, there have been repeated fires in Rroma settlements or buildings. To reduce this increase to thoughtless handling of fire sources only is not very likely. Political motives behind several of these fires are rather suspect, related to the social debate about Rroma. Right-wing parties and their supporters are outraged about a perceived erosion of the welfare state due to immigrants such as the Rroma. Using them as a negative image for their political purposes they accuse them of deliberate arson of their camps to access social welfare, a fact cited by Marie Le Pen. From another perspective, the increased number of fires can much more be seen as a consequence of the hatred of residents or other elements, which are offended by the presence of the Rroma.

Euro News (2013) complements the coverage of the fire with the statements of Interior Minister Manuel Valls. He expressed regrets over the incident, but also said he felt concerned that the occupation of houses and warehouses “ poses every time a real danger that needs to be cleared” would. What exactly he means by a “real danger” is unclear. Valls has argued in recent months for increasing returns of Rroma to Romania.

Coudert (2013) stated that the 200 Rroma in the building were temporarily housed in an adjoining gym. The decision of the Rhônes Civil Service to close the hall every day from 10-15 clock for cleaning purposes has been criticised. This is inhumane, especially given the fact that there are newborns among the people.

Sources:

  • Coudert, S. Mazni T. (2013) Les Roms sommés par le préfet d’errer sous la pluie. In: Lyon Capitale vom 16.5.2013.
  • Euronews (2013) Tote bei Brand in von Roma besetztem Haus in Lyon. In: Euronews vom 135.2013.
  • NZZ (2013) Drei Tote bei Brand in alter Fabrik. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung vom 13.5.2013. 
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17.05.2013 Rroma in France

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Casabianca (2013) reports on the eviction of a Rroma camp on the river Var, in the Cote d’Azur. Despite protests and support from organizations such as Amnesty International, the local Rroma had to leave their camp. Bulldozers from the commune then cleared the camp that was under a bridge next to the river. Critics complain that this ripped schooled children away from their classes, and that it went against a successful integration despite the precarious sanitary conditions.

To date, no alternative accommodation was found for those affected. Eric Ciotti, UMP deputy, on the other hand showed his inflexible stance towards Rroma: “Leur place est en Roumanie et en Hongrie, pas dans les Alpes-Maritimes. […] Europe a donné 20 milliards d’euros à ces pays pour qu’ils intègrent correctement les Roms. Il faut que ce gouvernement socialiste fasse preuve de fermeté ou exige que ces pays sortent de l’Europe. Parce qu’on ne va pas laisser des bidonvilles s’installer un peu partout aux portes de nos agglomérations” [Their place is in Romania and in Hungary, not in the Alpes-Maritimes … Europe gave 20 billion euro to these countries so that they properly integrate Rroma. The socialist government needs to show firmness or request that those countries leave the European Union. Because we will not tolerate new slums near our agglomerations] (Nice Matin, 2013).

Sources:

  • Casabianca, Pierre-Olivier (2013) Les Roms installés sur la rive gauche du Var quittent leur campement. In: France 3 online vom 17.5.2013. 
  • Nice Matin (2013) Les Roms des rives du Var en sursis. In: Nice Matin vom 15.5.2013. 
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10.05.2013 Šutka TV

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The first official Rroma TV channels, TV Šukta, was founded by Andrijano Dzeladin in September 2012 in his apartment in Paris. The native Macedonian felt misrepresented by the reporting of illegal Rroma settlements in in France and he decided to found his own TV station. The programs are designed to create a counterpart to the often one-sided coverage on Rroma and highlight the cultural diversity of this minority. The only drawback is that all programs are broadcasted in Rromanes and thus the majority society with its distorted view on Rroma will not be touched. The channel, initially produced only by Dzeladin and a station employee, focuses on musical, cultural and culinary programs and can be seen on http://www.livestream.com/tvsutka the Internet (Boitiaux 2013).

Source:

  • Boitiaux, Charlotte (2013) Live from a Paris apartment, the first Roma TV station. In: France 24 vom 9.5.2013. 
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10.05.2013 Rroma in France

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Nord Eclair (2013) informs on the eviction of an illegal camp in Saint-André. The local Rroma lived in the Rue Constantine for the last three years. The mayor’s arguments are that Rroma were a risk to the public and the environment. Advocates of the Rroma fighting against the decision note that the affected family of seven had not disturbed anyone. For the mayor, the value lies in the example and precedent. The city chief Olivier Henno stated that the Rroma in question were not political refugees and therefore would not enjoy any special status.

Beigbeder (2013) reports on a form of vigilante justice in Villeneuve d’Ascq. Residents of the city suspect members of an adjacent Rroma camp to have repeated executed thefts in their neighbourhood. They hung up posters in the streets showing potential delinquents and demanding their arrest. The action happens in the context of increasing tensions against members of the minority, which are fuelled among others by the Front National.

The Rroma settlement in a riverbed in Nice will be cleared based on a request of the General Council. The official justification of the ruling cites safety issues due to the location of the settlement, based on the risk of flooding and danger due to electricity. But the real reason is likely to stem from the displeasure of the President of the General Council Eric Cotti, who noted that the judiciary has finally put an end to the lack of action by the government (Largillet 2013).

Sources:

  • Beigbeder, Matthieu (2013) Villeuve d’Ascq: les habitant affichent de supposés cambrioleurs dans les rues. In: L’express (France) vom 10.5.2013.
  • Largillet, Jean-Pierre (2013) Camp Rom de Nice : la justice ordonne son démantèlement. In: WebTimeMedias vom 8.5.2013.
  • Nord Eclair (2013) Saint-André : les Roms installés rue Constantine en voie d’expulsion. In: Nord Eclair vom 8.5.2013.
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26.04.2013 Rroma Policy in France

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Atlantico (2013) reports on the latest undertakings of the right-wing opposition politician Marie Le Pen, who gave a press conference in front of a Rroma camp in an industrial zone in the French department of Essonne. The leader of the National Front emphasised that, should she be elected, she would eliminate all Rroma camps. She also criticised the center and left parties for opening France to eastern EU countries, leading to a de facto abolition of borders. She stated she would organise a referendum that will lead to the end of the European Union.

According to La Dépêche (2013), some residents of the Rroma camp approached the crowds of journalists. But there were no public exchange between Le Pen and the Rroma. La Dépêche estimates that currently about 20,000 Rroma are live in around 400 informal camps in France. The pastor Frédéric Gatineau wanted to show the settlement to Le Pen.  However, she quickly left the area reflecting he entrenched prejudices against Rroma. Gatineau stated: “Je pense que si elle rencontrait ces personnes, elle aurait peut-être un autre discours. […] Je pense qu’elle aurait été bien reçue. Ils ne pas la connaissent spécialement, ils n’ont pas d’a priori … J’étais prêt à l’accompagner mais elle est partie vite bien dans sa belle voiture noire. “ [I think that had she met people, she would maybe have held another discourse. I think she would have been well received. They do not know her and thus have no pre-conceived ideas about her … I was ready to go with her, but he left really fast in her nice black car]

Rotman (2013) emphasizes in his article that Le Pen defends her position without blinking. She argues that she doesn’t stigmatize anybody, that she speaks of the reality that no one dare to mention. That Le Pen doesn’t want to meet the people who are behind this reality itself says a lot about her understanding of reality. Her position is the result of her convictions, beliefs and values, not of social reality.

In “Les Berges du Va” in Nice, an illegal Romany camp will be evacuated. The head of the district, Eric Ciotti, argues for the removal refererring to the public health and public safety. Opponents counter this by saying that many of the local children were successfully enrolled in school and that to vacate the settlement is a step backwards on the integration of Rroma. On the question of where the Rroma will go after the eviction, Ciotti answers that this is the responsibility of the government. The judgment of the court on the eviction is expected in  the next two weeks (Binacchi 2013).

In Bobigny, near Paris, a fire destroyed part of a Rroma camp with about 250 residents. The cause of the fire is unclear. Several barracks were destroyed. Investigations, whether it was an arson act are running. Since January 2013, over 1000 Rroma in twelve different localities  had to leave their camps because of fires or pogroms A political motivation behind the numerous fires is therefore not unlikely (Libération 2013).

In Lyon, ten Rroma families who were evicted from an illegal settlement, benefit from Catholic Care. The priest Matthieu Thouvenot decreed that the parish of Gerland should provide food and shelter to 50 Rroma from the disbanded settlement, half of them children. The local church hall was converted for this purpose into  housing. The local court ruled a few days later that the prefecture should find permanent settlement for the evicted Rroma or pay for a compensation of 75 euro per person and per day. In the district near Gerland there is a tradition of Catholic charity. Representatives of the church are seeking dialogue with the French Ministry of the Interior, arguing that the situation of Rroma needs to be viewed and managed in a more differentiated way (Schittly 2013).

Sources:

  • Atlantico (2013) Marine Le Pen : elle prône les démantèlements massifs devant un camp de Roms. In: Atlantico vom 26.4.2013. 
  • Binacchi, Fabien (2013) Les Roms installés sur les berges menacés d’expulsion. In: 20minutes France vom 23.4.2013.
  • La Dépêche (2013) Devant un camp de Roms, Marine Le Pen promet «le renvoi de tous les clandestins». In: La Dépêche vom 26.4.2013.
  • Libération (2013) Un incendie d’atelier se propage à un camp rom à Bobigny, 250 évacués. In: Libération vom 25.4.2013.
  • Rotman (2013) Marine Le Pen en plan com devant un camp rom. In: Libération vom 26.4.2013.
  • Schittly, Richard (2013) Les catholiques de Lyon au secours des Roms sans abri. In: Le Monde vom 22.4.2013.

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19.04.2013 Relocation of Rroma Settlement in France

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20minutes (2013) reports on the relocation of illegal Roma settlement. The inhabitants, who, according to the newspaper, managed to settle down successfully in the new location, criticized the lack of cooperation from the authorities. There was a clear discrepancy between the promises of the politicians and the executing officials. The cooperative Latcho Rom stated: „[On regrette]  décalage entre le discours du maire et l’application par le service qui gère les campements. On ne comprend pas le temps que ça nécessite pour faire quelque chose qu’on a envie de faire“. [We regret the discrepancy between the mayor’ statements and the execution by the service responsible for the settlements.  We do not understand the time it takes to achieve something we all want to do.]

Leclerc (2013) reports on the resettlement of Roma families in Ris-Orangis, a suburb of Paris. The prefect responsible must appear in court as when clearing this Rroma settlement, he went against EU law. Accordingly the law, the Prefect should have provided alternative lodgings for the victims and an overall socially acceptable solution, but that did not happen. If the ruling goes against the mayor, the state will be forced to pay the affected people 75 Euro per day and person. At the same time, the mayor of Mont d’Hautmont, Joël Wilmotte protested vehemently against the plan to build a Roma settlement in his district.

In the Rhone-Alpes region, the local Ombudsman Jean-François Carenco was condemned by a judgment of the Court of Lyon, on April 4th, to find a re-accommodation for evicted Rroma. He had previously preferred to pay 75 euro per day as compensation instead of finding them a proper accommodation. In the first three months of 2013, about four thousand Rroma in France were forced to leave their homes due to foreclosures and about a thousand because of aggression against their houses or because of fires (Le Monde, 2013).

Midi Libre (2013) give the conservative Marie Le Pen a voice: The losing presidential candidate criticized the French government for his Rroma policy. The state is being blackmailed by Rroma who are deliberately setting their settlements on fire to get new houses and lodging from the state for free. This representation of Ms. Le Pen can only be described as absurd and racist. The Rroma have no interest to discriminate against themselves and chases themselves away.

France 3 (2013) reports on the forced resettlement of Rroma in Fontaine. The affected families had previously wintered in mobile homes provided for free that are now dismantled. The families were not informed of the impending removal of the containers and now have problems to organize new accommodations on the fly. Three of them were sent to hospital in Grenoble, where they are seeking asylum, more in the direction of l’Isle d’Abeau. Most of them do not want to leave the temporary living quarters.

Vincent (2013) reported on the controversial and contradictory attitude of the French state towards the Rroma communities in France. The Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has written a position paper that requires the reduction of forced evictions of Rroma settlements,  a paper signed by seven other ministers. With the end of the winter grace period at the end of March, the problem of the settlements will now again be a key topic. The debate in the position paper focuses on the question of the integration of Rroma. A decree requires the prefects wanting to evict Rroma settlement to send qualified personnel to evaluate the integration “potential” of the local Rroma. This should avoid violent evictions without successful relocation or at least reduce them to a minimum. The application of the new procedure varied quite a lot. Sometimes the evaluation had been made, sometimes not, and sometimes right before the evictions. The diagnosis should allow to better integrate individual Rroma in the workforce and in public institutions. Liberal find the focus on Rroma exaggerated and one-sided. Others ask for more patience and money regarding the successful integration of Rroma, which could take many years to complete and thus state that for that very reason, such settlements should be tolerated. A third group considers it imperative to evict the Rroma and clear the settlements in order to force Rroma to a faster respect of municipal laws.

Besse (2013) reported of a trial in a school in Madeleine to introduce a class for non-scholarised Rroma children. The plan was met neither by a categorical rejection nor by open enthusiasm on the parents’ side. However, two leading local politicians disagree. The school administration is decidedly for the introduction of a class and thus hopes to contribute to a better integration of this ethnic group. The school administration declared:

La direction a souhaité rassurer les parents présents, qui ont pu faire part de leurs inquiétudes, et a rappelé que tout enfant présent sur le sol français avait droit à une scolarisation, explique le groupement. Cette classe d’insertion peut être une chance pour apprendre à connaître l’autre et mieux vivre ensemble. Nous remercions la direction de sa participation à cette réunion. [The school director would like to reassure the present parents who had the opportunity to share their concerns, and stated that every child present on French soil was entitled to an education, says the group. This insertion class can be a chance to get to know each other better and live together. We thank the management of its participation in this meeting.]

Sources:

  • France 3 (2013) Fin de trêve hivernale : Les associations dénoncent les conditions de “déménagement” des Roms de Fontaine. In: France 3 vom 16.4.2013.
  • Ighirri, Alexia (2013) Du mieux pour les Roms, mais… In: 20minutes France vom 18.4.2013. 
  • Le Monde (2013) Le préfet du Rhône se résout à reloger les Roms expulses. In: Le Monde vom 10.4.2013.
  • Leclerc, Jean-Marc (2013) Les préfets contraints de reloger les Roms. In: Le Figaro vom 14.4.2013.
  • Midi Libre (2013) Marine Le Pen reproche à nouveau à l’Etat de se laisser abuser par les Roms. In: Midi Libre vom 17.4.2013.
  • Vincent, Elise (2013) Schizophrénie gouvernementale sur les Roms. In: Le Monde vom 6.4.2013. 
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19.04.2013 Anina Ciuciu: A Gypsy woman fights against Stereotypes

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Courrèges (2013) tells the story the Gypsy woman Anina Cuiciu who is completing a study in law at the Sorbonne University. Cuicui has written a book about the life as a Gypsy woman. She now spends her time with the promotion of her book and learns for exams. In the book she writes about the stigma that they she experienced as a Rromni, Rroma being said to be dirty in school, and thus, they all kept their identity secret. She was born in Craiova in Romania. Her father lost his job due to a denunciation. After losing his job, her father saw no future for himself and his family in Romania. Followed the migration to France, a time of uncertainty and transition, without any solid structures. With the award of a ten-year right to stay and after a successful high school exam, Ciuciu gained confidence. Due to the injustices she experienced, she decided to study law and to write a book about her life. With its publication she wants to contribute t to the deconstruction of the negative stereotypes on Rroma and help them develop a positive self-image.

Source:

  • Courrèges, Emmanuelle (2013) Anina Ciuciu : une Rom contre les clichés. In: Elle (fr) vom 12.4.2013. 
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12.04.2013 International Day of Rroma: Call to End Discrimination

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On the occasion of the International Day of the Rroma on April 8th, the Green Party decidedly demands an end to discrimination of Rroma in Europe. Too many Rroma are still excluded either by informal or explicit policies of social advancement and recognition. Since its inauguration in 1971 in London, the International Day of Rroma was celebrated 42 times, and the Green party criticized in particular the political exploitation of Rroma for purposes of election campaigns. This turns them into poverty refugees and makes them the targets of an emotionalised socio-political conflict. The Green Party calls for effective implementation of the EU initiated Rroma strategy, which up to now only had very modest successes.

The chairman of the Austrian Association of Rroma, Rudolf Sarközy stressed during the day, the constructive support of the Catholic Churchto bring the Rroma from the edge of society to get into its mainstream. Former Chancellor Franz Vranitzky openly criticized the anti-Roma policies in France, Hungary and other EU countries that are not really different from questionable practices usually found in emerging countries (Katholische Presseagentur Österreich 2013).

Stille (2013), on the occasion of the 42nd anniversary of the Rroma day, draws sober conclusions: Although with some 15 million members, Rroma are the largest minority in Europe, they are shockingly underrepresented in politics. Exclusion, discrimination and physical threats are still the norm. One builds walls, to isolate them from other settlements, extreme right-wing citizen militias patrol Rroma neighbourhoods and provoke and abuse Rroma and Rromnja. Nearly 60 years after the genocide of Rroma under the Nazis, this fact, in contrast to the Jewish Holocaust is barely recognised. The negative stereotypes that are attributed to Rroma continue unabated. War refugees from Kosovo are afraid of deportation to a country that they no longer know and where they are discriminated against. Romani Rose, of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma warns against blanket criminalization of people who are not looking to become delinquent, but are looking for a future. Finally, Stille states accurately:

Today, on World Roma Day, it is time for us to think about why German Roma for decades – many of them well-educated, well-integrated people – hide their belonging to this ethnic minority.

Sources:

  • Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (2013) Internationaler Roma-Tag: Diskriminierungen endlich beenden. In: Düsseldorfer Abendblatt vom 9.4.2013.
  • Katholische Presseagentur Österreich (2013) Roma-Tag: “Viele wissen nicht, wie gläubig wir sind”. In: Katholische Presseagentur Österreich vom 9.4.2013.
  • Stille, Klaus-Dieter (2013) „Roma“ heisst Mensch. In: Readers Edition vom 8.4.2013. 
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08.03.2013 Rroma Debate in Germany

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The heated discussion about the immigration from Romania and Bulgaria to Germany continues. Opinions are still divided and range between of gloomy forecasts of overburdened social security system and increasing shadow economy to call for moderation and a rationalisation of the debate and arguments. That the forecasted consequences of such an immigration are political constructs is only emphasised by some of the German media, others simply see them as given and as an inevitable fact.

Duisburg’s Mayor Sören Link speaks of 15 million additional costs to social welfare. He calls on the EU to improve the situation in Romania and Bulgaria quickly so that the people affected – from the perspective of many politicians and journalists primarily Rroma – do not even come to Germany. Link’s concern is based on the upcoming enactment of the freedom of establishment between Germany, Romania and Bulgaria from early 2014 onward. By then, the citizens of the countries concerned will be allowed to stay longer than the current 90 days without work permit in Germany. Link is in line with the gloomy predictions of the German Cities Association and does not really critically questions the issue (Schmidt 2013).

According to a survey by the weekly newspaper Focus, a majority of German citizens is in favour of a restriction of immigration from all EU countries. The Federal Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich is quoted as saying that the cities should strive for their own good is a strict compliance with existing legislation. He is alluding specifically to the unfair abuse of social aid funds and calls for tougher controls and fines. Migration researcher Klaus J. Bade is presented as the antipode to Friedrich. Bade criticizes the hysterical reactions to migration from South Eastern Europe and identifies the dire predictions on the consequences of mass immigration as a political construct. Statistics on the massive increase in welfare costs due to immigrants from Romania and Bulgaria are presented at the end of the article. How accurate these statistics from the Federal Labour Office are or how they were constructed is not presented nor discussed (Focus 2013, Berliner Zeitung 2013).

Frigelj (2013) reports on what he calls a “clash of two worlds”. The article focuses on visible Rroma with a negative image living in social housing in Duisburg. As a starting point the journalist chooses a well-established couple living in that estatge since a long time who, since the influx of Southeastern Europeans, “including many Rroma”, no longer feels safe. The majority of the article focuses on the negative issues resulting from the arrival of migrants from Eastern Europe and propagates the image of a drastic disruption of social peace. That there are indeed negative consequences and issues will not be denied, but the one-sided focus on negative stereotypes on Rroma and South-eastern Europeans needs to be decidedly criticized. Sections as the one that follows bring no contribution to the rationalisation of the debate: “The couple Halle and neighbours tell about catastrophes  on other side of the street: loud music, shouting, and barbecue feast till late in the night, garbage thrown out of the windows, human excrement on the premises, no manners, no decency.” As a counterpoint in this debate, the article portrays a resident priest, who is campaigning for a more differentiated and objective debate. According to Frigelj very few of the involved parties want to achieve this.

Joachim Brenner (Voigts 2013) from the association Förderverein Roma e.v. in Frankfurt criticizes what in his view constitutes the exaggerated figures of the immigration from Eastern Europe. He notes: “The excitement is constructed. With the slogan “The boat is full” votes can be gotten. That more people are coming than ten years ago may be true, but still: We are moving into an area where, for a society like ours, what is socially feasible is not significant. It’s a shame if this is so hyped.”

Thorpe (2013) enriches the debate by post from a Rroma village in Bulgaria. The local situation is portrayed as most German politicians and journalists present it: a life of misery, poverty, without future. The food is often bought on credit. A university degree often doesn’t even help Rroma to find work because of the discrimination. Migration seems the only way towards a better future in more dignity. Prostitution of Rroma girls in Western Europe is presented as a voluntary decision that had nothing to do with human trafficking, but is made out of economic considerations. The social reality displayed in this article cannot be denied, but once again the focus is solely on  marginalized Rroma living in misery. At more thorough research would have unearthed better-off Rroma can that do not conform to these stereotypes. These Rroma who are not written about in the newspapers, are an integral part of the Rroma reality, and even though they represent the majority, they are almost unknown to the general public. The article finally touches that topic when the Rroma representative Rumyan Russinow is quoted. It states that those Rroma who work abroad and do not take any social state benefits are invisible because they operate outside the public stereotype of Rroma, stereotypes which are constructed also by the media: “Stereotype are created by the media, who blow the behaviour of a tiny minority out of proportion.”

Romani Rose, chairman of the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma calls for a more concrete intervention of the federal government in cities affected by the immigration and for a solution to the problem of poverty and exclusion in the countries concerned (Frasch 2013). Efforts to improve the situation of Rroma often bear no fruits because of lack of political will to improve the Rroma situation. One often would prefer if they did not exist. He also sees a problematic blanket criminalization of immigrants especially for those who left their countries of origin because of poverty and a lack of perspectives. Such presentation of the facts plays right in the hand of right-wing parties, which so successfully politicized this theme.

In an interview with the Schwabian newspaper (Kling 2013), he also provides fixed point: “The dispute on the free movement within the EU will be held in Germany on the back of a minority. We are confronted here with immigrant fleeing poverty, which are then criminalized solely as Roma: they exploit social care systems, they throw dirt and grime in front of the door, and so on and so forth.“

Michael Martens (2013) of the FAZ writes about the status quo in the Bulgarian society. The resignation of Prime Minister Simeon Djankov, and the protests were symptomatic of the poverty and underdevelopment of the Bulgarian state. For this reason, the Bulgarians are leaving their country in droves. According to statistics of the European Statistical Office, the number of Bulgarians shrank from 2001 to 2011 from 8.15 to 7.33 million. Martens criticized the position paper of the German Association of Cities for an ambiguous naming of the problem.“ While the integration of ethnic Bulgarian (and Romanian) immigrants usually proceeds without significant difficulties, the migration of Roma creates significant problems.” This statement is not acceptable from an RCP’s perspective. Although it may not have been intentionally aiming at a blanket condemnation of all Rroma, as a principle an ethnic representation of an issue is always decidedly to be questioned. Representing the problematic immigrants as Rroma may, in Martens’ view help finding a solution, but ethnic representation and categorisation is always dangerous. This is why, on the other hand, the careful wording of the German Association of Cities is clearly welcomed.

On needs to criticise the Articles of Staat (2013), which reproduces the stereotype of rich Rroma kings who live on the exploitation of Rroma children. As a source, a social worker Norbert Ceipeck is named. He tells of his experiences in Romania, an expertise which is not in doubt. In particular, he details the estate of a Rroma King whose wealth solely stems from the exploitation of Rroma under him. Children were taken away from their parents and taught to steal or even forced into prostitution. The existence of such Rroma chiefs is actually not that clear, as noted by Martens (2013). There are indeed hierarchical relationships and dependencies, but professionally organized exploitation systems, organised by Rroma exploiting other Rroma highly doubtful. These are more an exception to the rule rather than the norm. Speaking of Rroma kings facilitiates the cliché of exploited underlings at the mercy of a chief, exploiting each others, and as such also partly responsible for their own misery:

The children take the long-distance bus to Western Europe und groups of three to five. Each group is accompanied by a woman. Ceipek calls these women “wardens”. Before the groups depart, middlemen organize the accommodations at the destination. The middlemen are also Roma and as the couriers and wardens belong to the inner circle of clan chiefs. […] The clan chief finds ways to entrap the parents of children in ever more debt. When the girls are older, 15 or 16, they are sold to another clan. The new clan pays a large sum, but he expects the girls that they give birth to many children. “The girls literally have to produce children” says Ceipek. Just so does the business model keep  running (Staat 2013).

Such statements are, even if they want to denounce poverty, are simply as racist towards the Rroma as the repetition of the standard stereotypes.

The report by Weuster (2013) is satisfied with the context-free playback of crimes that were committed by Slovak Rroma on a house in Mülheim. She notes: “Within days, seven Roma refugees ravaged an empty house in Mülheim. burnt wooden banister, ripped conduits from the walls, used rooms as a toilets and garbage dump.” That she might raise ethnic hatred and xenophobia appears unbeknownst to the author.

The same can be said of the article by Brücher / Xanthopoulos (2013). Titles such as “In 7 out of 10 thefts and burglaries, Roma are the perpetrators” can only be described as racist and amateurish. Every journalist should be aware that that making a connection between ethnicity and delinquent behaviour is inherently racist. This should be obvious, even without studying sociology or anthropology.

Kiewels (2013) article, “I am Rom – and did it” gives the impression that most of the Rroma are hostile to education and illiterate. The success story of Jane Simon, who managed to make he baccalaureate (A-levels) by studying in evening classes is to be welcomed especially since currently there are many negative messages on Rroma in the press, but the contextualization of the article is unfortunate. Ex negativo, the article reinforces the negative stereotypes against Rroma.

The Bild newpaters continued its series with an article called “The Truth about the Roma,” (Bild 2013). In this recent article it identifies six so-called truths about the Rroma in Germany: 1. There was no mass immigration. This finding must be greeted, as statistics did not consider seasonal workers and leavers. Moreover, the term “mass immigration” is a question of definition. From what number onwards does one o speak of mass immigration? 2. Many cities are overwhelmed and have to prevent extortion and excesses. This should not be denied, but it must be stressed that these events have nothing to do with Rroma per se. 3. Crime is increasing: 2011 crime statistics listed 26,348 Romanians and 10,960 Bulgarians criminals. How many of them are Rroma is not recorded. The importance of the last statement should be emphasized. Wilfully making connection between ethnicity and criminal activities is unnecessary and racist. 4. The countries of origin are the problem, because Romanians and Bulgarians are disproportionately at risk of poverty and Rroma are often marginalized. 5. Europe is failing in helping Rroma in South Eastern and Eastern Europe, with many unsuccessful programs. We clearly agree on points 4. and 5. 6. About half of the Rroma cannot read or write. This number, coming out of an EU statistics, stating that only 42% of Rroma are likely to finish the elementary school, may be true, but begs the question on how the overall number of Rroma (i.e. the total was determined, as this number in itself is subject to discussion). It is nevertheless very questionable to reaffirm in this way the stereotype that Rroma are illiterate. We cannot agree with this statement.

The Rroma debate in Germany is also misused by far-right parties in Germany to fuel hatred, as the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reports. The faction Pro NRW (North Rhine Westphalia) is planning to march in front of several refugee camps to protest what they deem to be an abuse of asylum. This rightist party uses the heated debate to stir up their racist views (Schmalenberg 2013).

The TAZ (Jacob 2013) reports on the problem of invisible Rroma in Germany. The article describes the life of the Rroma interpreter Diana S., who, in spite of professional success conceals her origins. She talks about the open rejection she experienced in Romania, where she was ostracized at school, despite excellent performance and where she was discriminated against. Also in Hamburg, where she now lives, she keeps her Rroma origin for herself. Too negative was the experience when she revealed her Rroma identity to some friends.

The newspaper “Die Zeit” reported on the work of the Hungarian Rroma activist István Forgács (Bota 2013). Forgács grew up in a Hungarian town near the border with Austria. His family benefited from the financial skill of his father during the collapse of the socialist system. He went to the university and worked for renowned organizations. Today he runs his own counselling centre for Rroma issues. Forgács calls for greater commitment on both sides: both the Gadje (non-Rroma) and the Rroma have to do more for a successful coexistence. Exactly as in the current debate in Germany. Contrary to may other experts, he sees the problem not as poverty issue but renames clearly as a Rroma one: on “Stop to call it poverty. We do not need more money for social inclusion, but for Roma projects. Roma Fund. Best a Roma Bank, which lends money to the states for 20 years for their local Roma projects.” He sees the necessity for Rroma to change their image, so that the rooted hatred they suffer from finally abates. This is why Roma projects are so important.

According to the report of Soldt (2013) of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the immigrants in Mannheim they examined, contrary to what many German media and politicians state are not just Rroma, but are members of the Turkish minority from Bulgaria. The Rroma, which in Neckarstadt-West represented from seven to nine per cent rather came from France, from where they left due to Sarkozy’s policies against Rroma. Mannheim wants to use language courses and “low-key integration proposals” for the integration of migrants. 20% of immigrants hold a university degree, 40% have a vocational qualification, and most Bulgarian immigrants are highly motivated to work. It is very important to keep them away from the shadow economy.

Sternberg (2013) from the Märkischen Allgemeine paper writes about the so-called “Rroma houses” in Neukölln. In most of these, Rroma are exploited by corrupt landlords, and only in a few did charities provide decent conditions. Sternberg’s article is in line with the general hysteria over mass immigration: Mafia-like structures are the rule, Rroma are systematically exploited and still come in droves to Germany because they here for take advantage of social care. The article provides no real new views to the debate, but confirms the conservative fears about the negative impact of immigration.

Jürgs (2013) provides a summary discussion of the talk show Maischberger on poverty immigration. He reports a strong clash between the CDU politician Wilfried Scharnagl and Rroma activists Hamze Bytyci. Scharnagl demands a visa regime and laments at the lack of EU intervention. The Integration Minister Guntram Schneider criticizes the in his view incompetent federal action regarding immigration. The activist Michael Will Hard criticized politicians for rejecting responsibility and for putting the blame on EU and on the Federal government. Concrete concepts are in demand. This is also request by the author Özlem Gezer of the Spiegel, who proposed intensive years in education and language for immigrants. The show was more of a political slugfest rather than a forum for concrete and fruitful proposals. 

Sources:

  • Berliner Zeitung (2013) Migrationsforscher warnt vor Abschottung gegen Roma. In: Berliner Zeitung vom 2.3.2013.
  • Bild (2013) Die 6 Wahrheiten über die Roma in Deutschland. In: Bild Zeitung vom 6.3.2013.
  • Bota, Alice (2013) „Das sage ich euch als Zigeuner“. In: Die Zeit vom 28.2.2013.
  • Brücher, J. / Xanthopoulos G. (2013) Bei 7 von 10 Diebstählen und Einbrüchen sind Roma die Täter. In: Bild Zeitung vom 8.3.2013.
  • Frigelj, Kristian (2013) „Mit Zugug der Roma prallen Welten aufeinander“. In: Die Welt vom 25.2.2013.
  • Focus (2013) Zwei Drittel der Deutschen wollen Zuwanderung begränzen. In: Focus vom 2.3.2013.
  • Frasch, Timo (2013) „Deutschland muss viel mehr Druck ausüben“. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung vom 24.2.2013. 
  • Jakob, Christian (2013) Keiner weiss, dass wir Roma sind“. In: TAZ vom 7.3.2013.
  • Jürgs, Alexander (2013) Ex-“Bayernkurier”-Chef rechnet mit der EU ab. In: Die Welt vom 27.2.2013.  
  • Kiewels, Maximilian (2013) Ich bin Roma – und habe es geschafft. In: Bild Zeitung vom 5.3.2013.
  • Kling, Claudia (2013) Die Roma werden zum Sündenbock gemacht. In: Schwäbische Zeitung vom 8.3.2013.
  • Martens, Michael (2013) Exodus aus Bulgarien. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung vom 18.2.2013.
  • Martens, Michael (2013) Es gibt keinen Zigeunerkönig. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung vom 4.3.2013.
  • Schmalenberg, Detlef (2013) Auf der Jagd nach Feinbildern. In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger vom 8.3.2013.
  • Schmidt, Ingo (2013) Immer mehr Roma kommen nach Duisburg – Stadt fordert Hilfe. In: Der Westen (WAZ) vom 1.3.2013.
  • Soldt, Rüdiger (2013) Auf dem Arbeiterstrich. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung vom 6.3.2013.
  • Staat, Yvonee (2013) Elend als Geschäftsmodell. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung vom 24.2.2013.
  • Sternberg, Jan (2013) Wohnprojekte in Berlin für Roma vom Balkan. Märkische Allgemeine vom 8.3.2013.
  • Thorpe, Nick (2013) „Wir dreckigen Zigeuner“ – Das Elend der Roma. In: Die Welt vom 23.2.2013.
  • Voigts, Hanning (2013) „Die Aufregung ist konstruiert“. In: Berliner Zeitung vom 25.2.2013.
  • Weuster, Katrin (2013) Roma haben mein Haus verwüstet. In: Bild Zeitung vom 5.3.2013. 
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15.02.2013 Rroma Children in Emergency Shelters

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Caroline Gebhard from the 20minutes paper in Lausanne writes about the increasing number of Rroma children sleeping in emergency shelters in winter in Lausanne. The Rroma kids aged up to 6 years live in shelters and have been separated from their families which recently arrived in Lausanne. The shelters are not accustomed to accommodate children. According to those in charge of the shelters, this increase of the number of  children is probably due to the repressive policies in France and the dismantling of Rroma settlements. Vera Tcheremissinoff of Opre Rrom is quoted as saying that parents often let their children with their grandparents, when they go away to collect wood or to beg. The article concludes with the statement that most of the Rroma children are picked up again by their parents, but four or five Rroma children were left unattended.

Caroline Gebhard representation of Rroma parents as irresponsible and leaving their children unattended raises the question of the impact of such statements on Rroma. Rroma Contact Point would once more like to emphasize that individual stories should not be presented as a universal truth for all Rroma and that such a portrayal is in fact racist.

Source:

  • Gebard, Caroline (2013) Les bébés roms s’invitent dans les abris d’urgence. In: 20 minutes Lausanne vom 17.2.2013
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04.01.2013 Rroma Names

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The publication «TANGRAM 30» by the federal institute against racism gives an interesting differentiation of terminologies associated with Rroma. They differentiate between Rroma, explained to be a meta-term for the numerous groups of around 8 or 10 million Rroma living in Europe. The Rroma, which became sedentary in central Europe around the 15th century – the exodus out of India starting in the 10th century – are termed «Sinti» in Germany and Austria, «Manouche» in France and «Gitans/Kalés» on the Iberian Peninsula. The authors stress additionally:

«In einem engen Sinn schliesst der Begriff Roma die Manouches/Sinti und Gitans/Kalés aus und umfasst nur einen Zweig der aus Indien zugewanderten Hauptgruppen. Die grössten dieser Gruppen leben in Rumänien, Ungarn, Slowakei und Bulgarien. Im TANGRAM wird der Begriff Roma in dieser Bedeutung verwendet.»

The logic in this distinction is not explained nor whether if it has political, ethnological or other reasons. The «Manouche», mostly based in France, are explained to regard themselves as a separate group from the Rroma. On which sources this statement is based, is not explained. The term «Gadsche» is used to denote non-Rroma people. It can be seen as a tool for the construction of Rroma identity in separation to the majority of societies.

Source:

  • Tangram 30 (2012) Jenische, Sinti/Manouches und Roma in der Schweiz. Bern: Eidgenössische Kommission gegen Rassismus. 
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