Rita Iszak, the author of the UNHCR report on Rroma that investigates the situation of this minority in terms of human rights is interviewed on the report.
A worthy read!
The French polemist Eric Zemour was condemned to a fine of 5’000 EUR for incitation of racial hatred. On live radio, on May 6th 2014, he said among others:
“les grandes invasions d’après la chute de Rome sont désormais remplacées par des bandes de Tchétchènes, de Roms, de Kosovars, de Maghrébins, d’Africains qui dévalisent, violentent ou dépouillent” [ The big invasions after Rome’s fall are now replaced by groups of Chechens, Roma, Kosovars, North-Africans who steal, rape, or rob.]
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.
In the redevelopments launched by the AK party and affiliates, yet another historic Rroma neighbourhood from Istanbul is being razed and its inhabitants displaced to the outskirts of the city. This in spite of the courts having declared the redevelopment of Sulukule illegal – a win for the Rroma that alas came way too late.
A shame for Istanbul
– Historic Roma neighborhood latest victim of profit-oriented development. In: Sunday’s Zaman. 21.05.2015. http://www.todayszaman.com/national_historic-roma-neighborhood-latest-victim-of-profit-oriented-development_389725.html
A report from a social research foundation in Sweden contradicts the well entrenched stereotype of Rroma living in organised crime families. According to the report, Rroma are not being trafficked into Nordic countries and are not under the influence of criminal gangs. This article focuses on newly arrived Rroma and not on the actual Nordic Rroma who have lived there since the 16th century.
The UN rapporteur on minorities, Rita Izsak, highlighted the continuing struggle of the Rroma communities around the world and stated that more should be made to integrate and to further social inclusion.
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.
A report on a drug raid in Mallorca. Can we ask the dear journalist why the use of “Roma and Sinti” … Besides the fact that this is like saying Londoner and Brits, the majority of Rroma in Spain are Gitanos who call themselves either that or Cale. So if politically correct, please inform yourself.
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.
Helsinki police says they dismantle illegal Rroma camps almost on a daily basis. It is not said from where the Rroma come – whether these are local Finitke Kāle or more recent arrivals in Finland.
Republican People’s Party (CHP) Roma candidate Özcan Purçu and two Yazidi candidates, Feleknas Uca and Ali Atalan, from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) were elected in the Turkish parliament. A first! Well done.
An article about Rroma risking their lives to get scrap metal from a still burning warehouse highlights the effect of the crisis on at least some of the Rroma minority in that country.
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.
Travellers and Rroma have gathered at the Appleby Horse fair in Cumbria, Northern England, for a horse-trading fair and a celebration of a way of life and community. Here are some pictures. This year, the fair was unfortunately overshadowed by the death of two horses during a race.
A new book by a German historian, Wolfgang Wippermann, entitled “No one is a Gypsy” [Niemand ist ein Zigeuner] is a personal plaidoyer against prejudices and pre-conceived ideas on Rroma as well as giving an overview of their origins in the late middle ages. In this, this book is an addition to an increasing number of books on this topic such as “Europa erfindet die Zigenuer” – Europe invents the Gypsies, from Klaus-Michal Bogdal.
According to a new survey, 9 out of 10 Italians have a negative view on Rroma. This is motly due to the negative image of the Rroma camps, camps, one should note, that are organised by the Italian state with the help of NGO and under police surveillance.
A shame.
The Turkish government named a Rroma advisor to the PM in order to further their existence, integration and to launch a series of reforms.
In view of the prevalent very negative views on Rroma in that country, and in view of such examples such as Sulukule, we hope that this will be successful.
Three people were killed, nine wounded at a Rroma wedding in Turkey after three assailants opened fire on the guests. A motive is not known.
This time in the French Press, an article on the eviction of the Rroma from their oldest European settlement, Sulukule. Well, please excuse the ignorance of the journalist qualifying Turkish Rroma of “Gitans” …
A coalition between the Social democratic party (SPÖ) and the extreme rightist Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is being seen sceptically by Rroma in that region and by the head of the Cultural Association of Rroma in Austria, Rudolf Sarközi. The Freedom Party is well known for its extreme positions against foreigner and generally any minorities and Burgenland is still scarred by the events of 20 years ago where there were attacks against Rroma in Oberwarth.
DE 
EN 
FR