{"id":1835,"date":"2013-08-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-29T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/%20rroma.org\/30-08-2013-rroma-debate-in-germany\/"},"modified":"2022-08-04T11:49:26","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T10:49:26","slug":"30-08-2013-rroma-debate-in-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rroma.org\/fr\/30-08-2013-rroma-debate-in-germany\/","title":{"rendered":"30.08.2013 Rroma Debate in Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Central \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCouncil of German Sinti and Romany is seeking a ban on discriminatory political \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tadvertising. This is a consequence of election posters of the National \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDemocratic Party of Germany (NPD), which states \u201cmoney for grandma instead for \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSinti and Roma\u201d. Romani Rose, Chairman of the Central Council, specifically \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trequested the creation of a legal basis to prohibit racist political \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tadvertising and requires legal action by the federal government. In several \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstates criminal proceedings against the NDP are also pending, but there are \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstill no judgments as of now. The SWR has conclusively stated: \u201cAccording to them, the Central Council has \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\treceived hundreds of calls of concerned Sinti and Roma families from all over \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGermany in the last days. This because of the NPD\u2019s posters which were very \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpresent, especially in smaller locations and on way to school or because they \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twere \u201cemotionally angry\u201d and scared. The open NPD incitements gave rise to massive \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfears amongst the elderly who survived the Holocaust.\u201d (SWR 2013)<\/em><\/p>\n

Frigelj \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013) spoke to Duisburg\u2019s mayor Reinhold Spaniel about the problem house \u201cin \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tden Peschen\u201d that for months generated media attention and has become an \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tinstrument of political campaigns. Spaniel sees Duisburg as particularly \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\taffected by the migration from Bulgaria and Romania, because the city has a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tparticularly large supply of cheap real estate and is therefore attractive for \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpoverty immigrants from south eastern Europe. He also shows comprehension for the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\texasperated neighbours who are overwhelmed by noise, littering and disputes. In \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcooperation with the owner of the property \u201cin the Peschen\u201d, he said he wants to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tprogressively empty the house and slowly seal the flats. He also differentiates \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tin that there are families that are willing to pay rent and to integrate and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmust be supported in their efforts. With regards to massive intervention, his \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thands are tied because the Romanian and Bulgarian migrants are staying legally \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tas EU citizens in Germany. He also advocates the somewhat controversial view \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthat from January 2014 onwards, when the freedom of movement agreement with \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRomania and Bulgaria enters into force, will see large migration flows to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGermany. With this representation, it becomes even more apparent that even liberal \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trepresentatives distinguish between desirable and undesirable immigrants. A \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tproblem Max Frisch already pointed out. Spaniel takes a dichotomous view \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbetween skilled professionals and low-skilled poverty migrants, which create \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tproblems for the city of Duisburg: \u201cMany well \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttrained Bulgarian nurses and Romanian doctors come to Germany. That is beyond \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdispute, This is not the clientele that we’re talking about here, I’m talking \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tabout very poorly educated people, some illiterates who are in Duisburg and create \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tproblems for us.\u201d<\/em> The desire to want only well-trained professionals immigrants \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcorresponds to the dubious distinction of economically useful and unhelpful \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tpeople, and the consequent evaluation of the immigrants. The Polish-British \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsociologist Zygmunt Bauman pointed out several time the moral problems of such \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\texclusionary social policies. However, Spaniel speaks not only of the necessary \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstructures but also of the newcomers\u2019 willingness at integration. To just \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsimply distinguish between integration willing and unwilling immigrants when \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttalking about integration, is to great a simplification. Integration is both a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmatter of personal commitment and also a result of the possibilities and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tstructures of the host country. Depending on political orientation, the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tinitiative of individuals is identified as the key critical or simply as one the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfactor among others. What is nice in this article is that he does not primarily \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tspeaks of a cultural problem, but also discusses possible solutions.<\/p>\n

Wyputta \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\talso (2013) of the TAZ spoke with spaniel. In this interview, it is clear that \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tnewspapers like the TAZ left the city officials blame lack of action. This, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thowever, legitimately defended by pointing out that his hands are tied by the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tapplicable legislation. He could only negotiate with the homeowner and drive \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tnew legislations that define issues such as overcrowding, sanitation or \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\telectricity supply of housing law. Again, Spaniel emphasized once more that the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcity was overwhelmed massive.<\/p>\n

The Romanian \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRromni Flavia Constantin (2013), in the context of the ongoing debate about \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRroma asks for a self-determined, more active presence of the Rroma and \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tespecially a change in the role of Rroma women. She speaks about the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttraditional gender roles of many Roma women, who, according to her is too \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tlittle critical and self-determined is to her liking, \u201cRroma women have never learned to stand up for themselves. Their world \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trevolves solely around the family, the house, and the community. This has to \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tchange. Because we have to start. With the women, not the men. Because women \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tare the ones who plant ideas in the minds of their children. They are the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbackbone of the community.\u201d<\/em> Constantin also calls for the creation of a new \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvisual culture, aiming at creating a counterweight to the stereotypical notions \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tabout Rroma. For a successful integration, efforts are needed on both sides: on \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe one hand, bureaucratic hurdles blocking access to the labour and housing \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tmarket need to be lowered, and on the other hand, immigrant Rroma should strive \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttowards better social integration. At the end of the article she gives a \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconvincing explanation of why the predictions of the mass immigration from \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRomania and Bulgaria, in her opinion, are wrong. They would already numerous \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tinformal work in Germany: \u201cI do not think \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthat the opening of the German labour market in January 2014 means that masses \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof Romanians and Bulgarians will flock to Germany. They are here anyway. Why \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tshould these people wait for them to be able to work officially, if they \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\talready do it unofficially?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Kemna (2013) \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfocuses on the future closure of an informal Rroma settlement in a Berlin allotment, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twhich will make way for a highway. One of the sitters, a young Romanian Rrom, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcomplains about the difficulties of working as a newspaper vendor. He fled from \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ta failed marriage to Germany. The institution Amaro Foro is contact point for \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRroma and European migrant workers in general. Mariela Nikolova of Amaro Foro \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tlaments the indifference of the authorities towards the inhabitants of the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tcolony, which will soon produce new homeless people. In addition, nearly all \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tapplications for Hartz IV social benefits are being rejected, which makes it \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdifficult to integrate, creating almost a vicious circle.<\/p>\n

EurActiv \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t(2013) provides information about a controversy in the context of EU funds, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twhich are paid for the integration of Rroma in Bulgaria and Romania. The EU \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCommissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, is being criticised \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfor her plans to transfer part of the funding to Germany, which, in the context \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tof the forthcoming freedom of movement with Romania and Bulgaria from the \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tbeginning of 2014, is faced with potential migration flows. The spokesman for \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tthe European Commission Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Andor, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdenies the allegations as being false. The funding is granted every seven years \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tand cannot easily be used elsewhere.<\/p>\n