{"id":1779,"date":"2013-09-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-09-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/%20rroma.org\/27-09-2013-rroma-debate-in-germany\/"},"modified":"2022-08-04T11:43:05","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T10:43:05","slug":"27-09-2013-rroma-debate-in-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/fr\/27-09-2013-rroma-debate-in-germany\/","title":{"rendered":"27.09.2013 Rroma Debate in Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"

Martens \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013) casts a sober look at the predicted mass immigration of Rroma from \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRomania and Bulgaria when the treaty on the free movement of people becomes a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\treality in January 2014. He criticises the dire prophecies by pointing to the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tadmissions of other Eastern European countries where similar predictions were \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmade. After Poles were allowed free establishment in Europe, it did not come to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe predicted mass exodus. A standard objection is usually that one strives to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbetter the situation of Rroma in their countries of origin with regard to access \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tto education and the labour market. At the meeting \u201cFor educational situation \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof Roma in (and out of) Southeastern Europe\u201d different social scientists and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpoliticians spoke about their experiences and insights. Martens criticises how \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthese subjective views are presented as objective truths, and in turn reproduce \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstereotypes, despite the good intentions behind it. For example, the green \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpolitician Franz Romeo in his speech uncritically reproduces the prejudice \u201cSerbs and Bulgarians, refer to Roma \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tchildren as “brown gold”\u201d <\/em>because they are abused for the benefit \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof organ trafficking.<\/p>\n

Deutsche \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWelle (2013) reports, as many other media previously did, about angered \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tresidents over new Rroma migrants in Duisburg. Indignant voices about what are \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdeemed Rroma insults convey an image of the incompatibility of the Rroma and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGerman way of life. Such debates are as old as the history of migration itself. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tImmigrants\u2019 cultural characteristics are exploited in order to channel the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfears of the people associated with a changing situation. Debates on migration \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tand immigrants always reproduce ideas about ethnic unity in the sense of ethnic \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tnationalism. That migration can also be enriching, is, however, often like \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tnegated. Instead, the media attention focuses on problem cases. That these \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trepresent the norm rather than the exception is highly doubtful.<\/p>\n

The \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpreconceived notion that most Rroma have none or a very poor education is also \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\treproduced by Aufderheide (2013) in her article on programs for Rroma in Duisburg. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor better integration, immigrants will be tested on language skills, education \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tand work experience. Aufderheide, not wrongly but very uncritically, speaks \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tgenerally of a low education level and writes them off as welfare recipients. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThis supports conservative voices who fear a massive impact of immigrants from \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRomania and Bulgaria on the German social welfare system: \u201cWhen the complete freedom of movement enters in force in the coming \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tyear, people will stand in line in front of the job centres to submit \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tapplications for Hartz IV. Skilled workers, which employers are clamouring for, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twill only be found in this population with a magnifying glass. Which of course \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdoes not necessarily mean that these people can\u2019t do anything.\u201d <\/em>The idea \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthat successful integration can be promoted by encouraging people, seems to be \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcompletely alien to her.<\/p>\n

On the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\timmigration debate, Grunau (2013) gives an closer look at the issue of poverty. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHe notes with a reference to Mappes-Niediek that it is often the poverty of \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\timmigrants, which is perceived by residents as being undesirable. This is then \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmixed with a cultural background: \u201cThey are \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tjust as rejected as poor people all over the world. The problem is poverty, not \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRoma, which the author proves with many examples.\u201d<\/em> Also forgotten in the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpolemics debate about poverty immigrants is that in the 1960s and 1970s, tens \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof thousands of Rroma arrived as guest workers from Yugoslavia to Germany and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tlive there well integrated. What one can observe, therefore, is the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tethnicization of a poverty problem. Ignoring the integrated, invisible Rroma, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmany of whom they fear to be publicly recognised as Rroma and named as such so \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbecause they fear that they could be excluded from their social environment is \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tassociated with this phenomenon: \u201cThis is \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\talso an investigation on Roma who came as guest workers in the 60s, 70s, and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thave noted: “We are perceived as Italians, as Turks, Yugoslavs we’re doing \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmuch better here if we are not perceived as Roma..” They have kept their \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tidentity secret, with the consequence that they have made \u200b\u200ba career, are \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tintegrated, are established\u201d (Grunau 2013\/II). <\/em>Barbara Lochbihler, Member \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof the European Parliament, sees the lack of integration of Rroma in the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\teducation system in most European countries as an important factor for the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpersistence of poverty and the remaining low enrolment rates. The experience \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twith education, which parents could be pass on to their children is lacking.<\/p>\n

Arbutina \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013) analyses the Rroma political participation ability. He notes with a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\treference to Zeljko Jovanovic of the Open Society Foundation, that for many \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRroma, due to the blatant poverty, politics constitutes an incidental \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tphenomenon. Moreover, in several Eastern European countries the will to let \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRroma really to participate in the country’s politics is lacking. Socially \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twidespread nationalist views hinder the implementation of political multiethnic \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstates in which all voices are allowed to speak. As an example of the political \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tand social integration, Macedonia can be identified: there are well-established \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tparties representing the interests of the Rroma and Rromanes can be studied as \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ta language in the universities. Jovanovic stresses, however, that Rroma should \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tnot only build on the integration will of governments but should also put more \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tefforts themselves towards a successful integration.<\/p>\n