Bulgarian authorities started demolishing “illegal” housing in the Rroma neighbourhood of Stolipinovo in Plovdiv.
BAD … What do they want to achieve? Razing the entire neighbourhood?
Interesting interview of Alexander Mušinka, who co-authored the strategy for integration of Rroma in the Slovak Republic. He speaks about how many Rroma, whether they all live in Ghettoes (they don’t), whether they really have more children (not always, and more driven by socio-economic factors, i.e. being poor), etc.
Worthwhile read!
EU auditors slammed the EU Rroma integration program saying that there is no way of knowing how much money and for what has been spent on Rroma integration programs by the EU…
BAD …
A long article in die Welt on the Rroma occupying the Regensburger Cathedral to prosets against their eventual expulsion back to the Balkan, as Germany has declared most countries there as being “safe”. This article asks whether the Rroma have aligned themselves with the Antifa (Anti Fascist Movement) whom die Welt portrays as radical in asylum questions.
Yet another article on the operations against human trafficking that has been launched by the Netherland police. Here Rroma figure prominently as victims but the fear is that in people’s minds, other Rroma are the traffickers.
One of the winning Portuguese footballers is Rrom …
A long article about the Hotel Gračanica project, a hotel run by Rroma in a country that doesn’t want any Rroma … And lots of information about the current situation.
The Duden is at the centre of a controversy regarding the Ustasha. In its latest definition, they say “Croatian Nationalist movement who fought against Serbian centralism”. This prompted a backlash in the Web, as the Ustasha are definitively Nazis who killed all Rroma in Croatia (yes) and nearly all the Jews there.
The story of a Rromni who came to France, and managed to get out of the Ghetto is being thrown out again. She broke the laws introduced by Sarkozy forbidding begging with children (7 years in jail and up to 100’000 EUR fines), and went to court three times to fight her conviction. And she won!
She is now on the verge of falling back. The French state’s policies are definitively pro integration …
With Football, and with France in the final, there are very few news about Rroma in the Press. Nevertheless, a few items warrant some attention…
Near Paris, children from an illegal camp celebrate the end of the school year; a camp is closed near Paris in St. Denis; Rroma left a camp by themselves in the North; in the Marne region, displaced Rroma are squatting a construction site, hindering work; in Nancy, in the East, tensions are increasing between Rroma and their neighbours; in Lens, in the North, Rroma associations are protesting the inaction of the state; an article about Rroma in Marseilles and their future between two expulsions; and finally, the Council of Europe denounces the human cost of expulsions.
A complaint has been filed by Rroma activists against a page in Facebook and against the person who posted the comments for requesting that “gypsies be set on fire”…
What a joke … According to Mr. Zoltan Balog, the Hungarian minister for Human Resources, the situation of Rroma improved over the last two years in Hungary. Specifically, 50’000 Rroma have found new jobs. What he forgets to say is that these jobs are in the so-called Közmunka – or mandatory work scheme that replaced social care.
This is total BS…
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…
Interesting article on identity and on the issue of clichés with which one is immediately confronted when on says one is Rrom. This time in Munich…
A new documentary on Hitler’s Olympics and on the fact that prior to them, in early July, all Sinti from Berlin were deported the a camp in Marzahn, a prelude to what would happen next…
Policemen sharing bribes with the Rroma head of a camp in charge of allocating housing units is yet another example of the blatant corruption that keeps the camps in Italy going. Better close them once and for all.
The statement of the Swiss politician Jürg Michel from the rightist SVP whereby one can “recognise Gypsies with one’s nose” is earning him a few complaints. The Jenische organisations, the young socialists, the Gesselschaft für bedrohte Völker, and the Rroma Foundation have all deposited complaints with the police for blatant racism. The politician is defending himself saying he is defending minorities …
No further comments.
An interesting essay on pictures of Rroma in general… A good read.
The Italian camp of Masseria del Pozzo was evacuated by the police and 75 Rroma families are in need of lodgings, as nothing was prepared for them following the eviction. Amnesty appeals for Help!
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