Category Archives: News Switzerland

France Allemagne Nouvelles suisses Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Rroma wedding near Zurich

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Rroma wedding near Zurich

Again a case of a Rroma wedding near Zurich were roughly 70 caravans gathered to celebrate a wedding. These travelling Rroma are from France and Germany (with a corresponding passport) and are members of a pentacostal church. A farmer rented them his land for 5’000 Swiss Francs. People in the village are annoyed and are asking why nothing is being done by the police.

A typical controversy, including the fact that people defecate in the open, and thus befoul the region and adjacent wood.

But the WORST are the commentaries: Bigots and racists seem to love these news.

  • Hunderte Roma feiern Hochzeit. Nürensdorf stinkts. In: Blick. 22.07.2015. http://www.blick.ch/news/schweiz/zuerich/hunderte-roma-feiern-hochzeit-nuerensdorf-stinkts-id3997122.html
France Nouvelles suisses Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest Espagne

Travellers, Gitans, Roma, or the confusion of journalists

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Travellers, Gitans, Roma, or the confusion of journalists

An article about a few Rroma who stopped in a field near Payerne and had to leave as the field’s owner did not want them to stay highlights the misinformation and confusion among journalists:

The title uses “Gitans” – who are not travellers, by the way, and are found only in the South of France and Spain (also called Cale); the text uses “Gens du Voyage, i.e. Travellers, which can be Rroma but could also mean Jenische (Swiss travellers) or French Travellers; and finally the police states that these are most probably “Roma” from neighbouring France. We are just missing Sinti in this article to complete the confusion!

Nouvelles suisses Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Rroma beggars with dogs

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Rroma beggars with dogs

There are apparently several beggars in Lausanne – Rroma – who are begging with a dog. A foundation for the protection of animals has accused them of drugging their dogs, an accusation that could not be substantiated by the cantonal veterinarian. This may be a new tack of these beggars, now that begging with small children is effectively forbidden.

In spite of all the drama in the Media, we speak here of a few scores of beggars, a very tiny number in comparison to the well established and integrated Rroma in Switzerland.

Nouvelles suisses

Switzerland – Wallis: Warnings against Roma thieves

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Switzerland – Wallis: Warnings against Roma thieves

Totally inappropriate article which appeared a while back in a smaller paper in the Wallis region of Switzerland. It de- facto assimilates Rroma with thieves and burglars bands who will rob all houses and flats they can lay their hands on. Clearly, in the distorted mind of this journalist, these bands are also forcing their children to steal. The journalist is somehow cautious, stating that one is not sure that these bands are Rroma, but devotes a large excerpt about Rroma in general which leaves little doubt about his opinion.

PLEASE join our protests against this!

  • Dreiste banden unterwegs. In: Rhone Zeitung.26.06.2015. No longer available on the web. Copy attached.

rhoneZeitung_june2015

Nouvelles suisses

Lausanne: New beggars

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Lausanne: New beggars

An article about newly arrived beggars in Lausanne, beggars who are more aggressive and younger that the “local” ones, i.e. the ones who have been in Lausanne for several years. It is not clear from the article where these new beggars are coming from nor whether they really all are Rroma.

France Allemagne Italie Nouvelles suisses Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Travellers, Rroma, Sinti, Jenische

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Travellers, Rroma, Sinti, Jenische

Following requests for some camps for travellers in the region of Biel/Bienne in Switzerland, the unfortunately usual discussion about who is what started anew in the press. Who are Jenische (Swiss travellers, also present in France, Germany, Austria); Sinti, who in Switzerland are often intermarried with Jenische but otherwise come from France, Germany and Italy; Rroma, whom the Swiss understand as “Foreign Travellers”, who are mostly French and German Rroma etc…

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Nouvelles suisses

Switzerland pays 8 Mio CHF to Bulgaria for Rroma Integration

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Switzerland pays 8 Mio CHF to Bulgaria for Rroma Integration

Switzerland just signed an agreement with Bulgaria providing 8 Mio Swiss Francs to the municipalities of Burgas, Ruses, and Sliven to further Rroma (and other minorities) inclusion, centring on education and basic health care. In view of the more and more extremist views of the general population towards minorities and Rroma in particular, this in a country that used to be tolerant, one wonders whether this is the right approach.

Allemagne Nouvelles suisses Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Rroma Wedding in Switzerland

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Rroma Wedding in Switzerland

First news since a long time in the Swiss Press about “foreign travellers”, i.e. Rroma. 500 of them camped in a village in Thurgau, North East of Zurich, to celebrate a wedding. Finally they left as one of the members of the group die in a car accident in Germany and the wedding was cancelled.

The journalist was not particularly sensitive: He used the word “Sippe” [clan], said that people were afraid that the same issues as a fews years back in the French speaking part of Switzerland would occur, etc. In brief, he or she regurgitated the usual stereotypes. Shame.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Nouvelles suisses Roumanie

Yves Leresche: Exhibition on Rroma in Lausanne

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Yves Leresche: Exhibition on Rroma in Lausanne

Until May 23, Yves Leresche’s exhibition in Lausanne depicts the lives of some of the Romanian Rroma beggars who came to Switzerland. It goes between Lausanne and Romania, and shows a very humane picture of these people, far from the criminal bands prejudices.

These picture should nevertheless not lead to the belief that this is the only Rroma reality. In fact, it is the reality of a small group of Rroma from a few villages in the same Romanian region. Many Rroma are integrated, especially in Switzerland where beggars, thieves and other stereotypical Rroma only make a tiny percentage of the overall Rroma population there.

Nouvelles suisses

Travellers in Switzerland

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Travellers in Switzerland

The Swiss Travellers, the Jenische, are currently making the headlines in Switzerland. One of their organisations, the so-called “Bewegung” [Movement] has occupied an unused parcel in the city of Zurich to protest for the lack of camping places for travellers in the Canton and city of Zurich. This new organisation also walked out of a working group covering other Jenische and Rroma organisations and the Swiss Federal Authorities, stating that this working group was far to slow (due to complete in 2018) and anyhow was more of an alibi exercise.

The acute lack of camping places has led to other occupations, for example in Basle, but also to some excesses whereby the Swiss Jenische want “segregated” places, i.e. want foreign travellers and Rroma be quartered in other places. The rationale is that the foreign travellers do not comply to the rather strict Swiss regulations. In our opinion, this is not a reason to warrant segregation. This can be resolved by enforcement. But fact is: Lack of space leads to disputes and to such statements.

Bulgarie Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Nouvelles suisses Roumanie

Romania: Between poverty and the hope of integration

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Romania: Between poverty and the hope of integration

Swissinfo reports on Swiss help for Rroma in villages in Romania and on the fact that the Swiss government is making Rroma a priority for their foreign aid, especially to Romania and Bulgaria.

The report focuses on an initiative of Terre des Hommes, funded by the Swiss government in several villages in South Western Romania.

Nouvelles d'Europe de l'est Nouvelles suisses Nouvelles d'Europe de l'ouest

Amnesty: Who are Rroma

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Amnesty: Who are Rroma

amnestyAmnesty wrote a FAQ sheet on Rroma. Not bad, but still perpetuating some stereotypes. Rroma “travelled from place to place”. This is clearly false in many places, in the Balkans but also in Western Europe. Pity that they couldn’t get over their stereotypes.

Nouvelles suisses

More Minority Status in Switzerland

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More Minority Status in Switzerland

Several French speaking newspapers in Switzerland published a common article on the open letter of Rroma, Sinti, and Jenische organisations to Ms. Sommaruga, the president of the Swiss confederation, appealing for recognition as a minority in that country.

While we greet the fact that these papers who normally only publish news of stealing, begging, or whoring Rroma, effectively stated that there are 80 to 100 thousand integrated Rroma in the country, we find it less amusing that none of the organisations they cited as co-signatories of the open letter are Rroma NGOs, and indeed they signed. In addition, several of the papers still resorted to the good old clichés of caravans, poverty, and other stereotypes when setting the picture.

Nouvelles suisses

Switzerland: Rroma ask for minority status

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Switzerland: Rroma ask for minority status

The Neue Zürcher Zeitung reports on an action of Rroma, Sinti and Jenische representatives who wrote a letter to the President of the Swiss Confederation, Ms. Sommaruga asking for formal recognition of the Rroma as a minority in Switzerland. The paper notes that the up to 100 thousand Rroma living in that country are well integrated, but are not represented in several state organisation, for example in the Swiss Federal Commission against Racism.

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20 minutes in Switzerland: Authorities know too little on Rroma

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20 minutes in Switzerland: Authorities know too little on Rroma

20 Minutes reports on the fact that Rroma, Sinti, and Jenische, on the occasion of the International Rroma Day on April 8th, have written a letter to the President of the Swiss Confederation, Ms. Sommaruga, asking for an explicit recognition of the minority in Switzerland. The article stresses that the 80 to 100 thousand Rroma living in Switzerland are well integrated and mostly Swiss.

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Switzerland: No space for foreign travellers

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The camping place for travellers in Winterthur is now closed to foreign travellers. Official reason given is that a while back, some travelling Rroma left the place in dire state. Hence the interdiction.

That the behaviour of a few people should not be taken as grounds for a blanket interdictions should have occurred to the city of Winterthur… This is simply not acceptable in the 21st century.

Nouvelles suisses

A movie on Rroma beggars in Lausanne

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A movie on Rroma beggars in Lausanne

Another documentary on Rroma beggars in Switzerland. It is amazing how a very small number of people seems to fascinate an entire country. In Lausanne, there are no more than 60 beggars at any time, and not all of them are Rroma. In Switzerland, there are at most 1’000 such beggars, thieves, prostitutes, and they are represented as a horde invading this peaceful country… Even theough there are 80 to 100 thousand well integrated Rroma there.

In Brief, another movie, another view on the same old stereotypes.

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The French speaking Swiss press equates Rroma with poor migrants

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The French speaking Swiss press equates Rroma with poor migrants

The newspaper “La Liberté” in a series of recent articles equates Rroma with poor migrants who come to Switzerland to beg. There is no differentiation, and the implicit ethnicisation of a social problem and the projection thereof on all Rroma is simply not acceptable.

They also mention the exhibition from Yves Leresche, a photographer who has captured many shantytowns and who shows the poor face of Rroma. All in all, this re-inforces the negative views that are already prevailing among the general population.

When one thinks that all the beggars, prostitutes and thieves in Switzerland number less than a thousand, which is not even 1.5% of the Rroma population of the country, one sees how far these views are from reality.

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