Category Archives: News Western Europe

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.

News Westeuropa

Appleby Horse Fair

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Appleby Horse Fair

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.

News Westeuropa

No one is a Gypsy

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No one is a Gypsy

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.

Italien News Westeuropa

Italy: 9 out of 10 don’t like Rroma

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Italy: 9 out of 10 don’t like Rroma

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.

News Westeuropa

Ankara assigns a Rroma advisor to the PM

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Ankara assigns a Rroma advisor to the PM

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.

News Westeuropa

Sulukule – One still speaks of it

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Sulukule – One still speaks of it

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” …

News Westeuropa

Left-Right coalition in Austria’s Burgenland

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Left-Right coalition in Austria’s Burgenland

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.

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.

Irland News Westeuropa

Ireland: Garda members arrested over role in Rroma children case

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Ireland: Garda members arrested over role in Rroma children case

In 2013, Garda members took away children from Rroma families based solely on their appearance (i.e. they were not dark), as there was deemed to be a fair incertitude as to whether the children were really with their parents. A senior Garda member is now in custody following leaks to the press regarding this case. Highly unusual!

  • Garda arrested over alleged media role in Roma children case. In: The Irish Times. 31.05.2015. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/garda-arrested-over-alleged-media-role-in-roma-children-case-1.2229928
  • Garda arrest over alleged Roma case leaks. In: The Irish Examiner. 28.05.2015. http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/garda-arrest-over-alleged-roma-case-leaks-333279.html
News Americas News Osteuropa News Westeuropa

Hungarian Rroma refugees in Canada granted a reprieve

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Hungarian Rroma refugees in Canada granted a reprieve

Following the condemnation of a Canadian lawyer for having mishandled the cases of Rroma refugees, a couple of Hungarian Rroma are getting a second chance and the court is now re-considering the refugee status.

News Westeuropa

Norway: Children at risk of foster care

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Norway: Children at risk of foster care

A report by the Council of Europe Human Right Commissioner, Nils Muižnieks, claims that a quarter of Norwegian Rroma children in Olso are in or at risk of being put in foster care. Upon more careful reading, one finds that 60 children are in, and another 60 are at risk of being put in foster care. So all in all 120 children, which, if this is true, means there are 460 Rroma children in Oslo. Who knows … It would be better to say the exact numbers instead of clamouring some phony eye catching headline which is obviously not correct.

Belgien News Osteuropa News Westeuropa Slowakei

Homeless Slovak Rroma in Brussels

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Homeless Slovak Rroma in Brussels

The story of the few homeless Rroma in Brussels (we reported on it), is drawing lots of attention in the Belgian press and now also in the Slovak one. Even the European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák stepped into the fray and stated that “We provide assistance to all of our citizens that approach us with a request for help, but this wasn’t the case in this instance.”

Lots is made of a few isolated cases, and the Rroma who migrated and integrated are barely mentioned. Again, only stereotyped views of the Rroma are pushed by the press.

Tschechische Republik Ungarn News Osteuropa News Westeuropa Rumänien

Fighting school segregation

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Fighting school segregation

An interesting article on the various ways to fight school segregation in the case of Rroma in Europe. School segregation is too often still the norm, especially in Hungary, Slovak and the Czech republic, as well as in Romania.

Finland News Westeuropa

Law Case in Finland and Rroma

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Law Case in Finland and Rroma

A case of abduction, sequestration and rape where a young Rromni was abducted by a Rrom and his daughter, forced to have sex – having 4 children in the process, and finally being freed after several years is raising controversy in Finland. The reason: the mild verdict ( 3 years and ten months for the father, 2 years and 8 month for the daugher), which according to the press was due to the fact that they are Rroma, the father having claimed this was culturally ok among Rroma, as the abducted girl was de-fact his wife according to custom.

Finnish Rroma (so-called Kaale) countered that the deed was in no way condoned by the community nor was it the result of cultural traits. They also criticised the debate in the press.

Follows an extensive debate about culture and law… Fact is, Rroma culture doesn’t condone such acts, by far. Contrary, this would have resulted traditionally in the total exclusion of the Rrom from the community. Unfortunately, some of these traditions are getting lost, in part due to the pentacostal influence and other assimilation factors.

Deutschland News Westeuropa

75 years since the first deportations in Germany

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75 years since the first deportations in Germany

Throughout the German press, there have been articles commemorating the 75th anniversary of the first deportations of Rroma and Sinti on May 16th, 1940, to concentration camps. Writers, politicians, clerics, all reflected on this dark chapter of German history. Even darker when one considers that the persecution of Rroma and Sinti was not recognised as an ethnic one by the German state until 1982 (Date at which the German Government under Helmut Schmid recognised the racial nature of the perecution). Until then, Rroma and Sinti had been persecuted officially solely for being “asocial” Needless to say, reparations were also not really forthcoming, even after that date.

News Westeuropa

Bologna: Rroma demonstration against discrimination

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In Bologna, 100’s of Rroma demonstrated on the 16th of May to protest against racism and discrimination, especially fuelled by the Lega, a right wing populist party that is currently stirring up hatred towards immigrants and Rroma especially. This, in spite of Bologna being quite a model city with their action against prejudices on which we reported a while back.

Belgien Frankreich News Westeuropa

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.

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