The Sinti view of travelling through Switzerland.
Whereas the other travellers in Bern, as we learnt, Sinti, created problems (see yesterday’s post), these Rroma in Aargau left the land clean and paid for their stay. It is therefore all the more of a mystery why the peasant will not want to rend another time to Travellers…
Bad.
Another article about 80 caravans and 200 travellers. Issue is that there are not enough toilets. Only 2 for 200 people. A bit short. And they brought them themselves.
An alternative movement in the city of Berne, who live in old caravans and camps around Bern is fighting the city ordinances that require them to move every three months. Their lawyer suggested that the state recognise them as Travellers, so that they get the right to stay for 6 months at the same spot.
Notwhistanding the fact that this law allowing travellers to stay put for 6 months is somewhat weird, the suggestion is an interesting one. The Swiss only recognise travellers, not the ethnic minority of Jenische and Rroma. In fact, the way of life is the key. So if they live like travellers, according to Swiss logic, they must be …
The authorities in Neuchatel / Val de Ruz want the foreign travellers out. And want to take measures to prevent foreign travellers to come to the canton. This continues the current trend of forbidding foreign Rroma from coming over to Switzerland.
BAD.
In Neuchatel in Switzerland, the association of painters and plasterers is protesting against Rroma who are doing their jobs at a much lower price. According to the association, they do their jobs badly … To be seen. These Rroma are also professionals J
If there are no news about Rroma in the French Press, there are many about travellers. So many in fact, that one could think that France is literally invaded by travellers. 37 articles, in their great majority about illegal camps … You can judge by yourself:
Illegal camping in Vizille, near Grenoble; illegal camping in Alsace; in St. Hilaire, in Plan de Grasse, in Revel, in Saintes Maxime, in the Ardèche, in Montpellier, in Millau, and in Cabestany, in the South of France; in Western France in the Landes, in Dinant, in Lanton, in les Billaux, in Escources, in Pont de Cé, and in Lespare; in the North of France in Alprecht, in Wattinies, in Dunkerque, in Librecourt, in Le Portel, in Valenciennes, in Meurchin, and in Mazingarbe; in Normandy in Vascoeuil; in the East of France in Epinal, in Jarville, in Neufchateeau, in Saint Vit, and in Dombasle; and finally two articles on potential sites for camping for travellers in the centre of France and near Paris.
As every year, the so-called Travelling Culture Centre of Jenische, Sinti and Rroma stopped in Zurich. With a moving exhibition, a few caravans and some music, the centre aims to present the culture of travellers in Switzerland, mostly the Jenische, but to a lesser extent some of the Sinti and Rroma in that country.
An Austrian documentary on the last travellers. Lots of clichés, and it as usual gives a wrong impression on Rroma overall…
Yet another article about a possible camping site for travelling Rroma in Switzerland. Note that Switzerland actually segregates in many places and only allows local travellers on many sites. The rest of the article, oh, well, no comments…
Interesting interview and article of Daniel Huber, president of the association of the Jenische – Radgenossenschaft der Landstrasse. What is said about Rroma is beside the point. And a remark that Jenische have equality of genders should at best have been omitted here. Just shows that Rroma are not know there either.
The little side article on different groups is for once quite good. Sinti are with us there.
Rroma (Lovara not Gitanos/Kale as written by this very well informed journalist) are being told they need to leave the camp they are currently occupying near Neuchatel in Switzerland. Increasingly, camping spots are being segregated in Switzerland, with Rroma being kept out …
BAD.
One of the few camping places for travelling Rroma and Sinti in Germany will be closed. The Roma and Cinti Union, who has been running this camp, has been informed they will have to leave it until October.
A Swiss commune is up in arms to protest against a newly planned “transit” camp for foreign travellers, aka Rroma in Switzerland. There are few places for Rroma travellers in Switzerland, as other camping spots are increasingly forbidden to Rroma. Effective segregation, even though these camps are often under utilised.
BAD!
When Football is king, there are certainly less news about Rroma. Very few news this week in France. In Loos, in the North, the camp was finally dismantled, and burnt down, only two families found a new lodging; in Annet sur Marne, near Paris, the Rroma left leaving lots of garbage; in Cuges, in the South, the mayor calls for blocking travellers from camping there; and in the Alps, travellers finally left La Vue des Alpes.
On a more positive touch, Médecisn sans Frontières is deeply engaged in the North helping Rroma; and in Sètes, in the South, a story on inclusion in School.
Another article on the commemoration of the official excuses of the Swiss Confederation for the actions taken against Travellers in Switzerland.
The saga continues for these travelling Rroma who have been kicked out from one place and are now searching for another opportunity to stay. Important to know is that they actually work in Switzerland. They have regular and scheduled work agreed with factories and businesses in Switzerland…
This week’s news summary from France. Not so much, which is not surprising, as there were other news in the front pages.
In Lille, Rroma are told to leave France and to move to another place, to Vauban; in the North again, a difficult cohabitation between local travellers (i.e. Manouches) and Rroma; and a police action and a tumultuous municipal council in Loos, in the North of France.
Then two articles on schools one about the inclusion of migrants, the other about pollution near a school where Rroma are.
And finally, of course the usual crime stories with a reported increase of break in in the West and pickpockets in the South.
The Appleby Horse Fair is in full swing!
30 years ago, the Swiss government officially acknowledged its involvement in the so-called Kinder der Landstrasse, a program which saw the state take away children from Jenische, the local travellers and place them in homes.
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