Tag Archives: Discrimination

News Switzerland

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.

News Eastern Europe

International Roma Day: Ongoing discrimination and exclusion

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International Roma Day: Ongoing discrimination and exclusion

While many countries mark the international Rroma day on April 8th, discrimination, exclusion, and ongoing issues are still the norm for many Rroma in Europe. Europe should mark the day and remember its largest transnational European minority.

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe

Bulgaria issues statement on International Roma Day

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Bulgaria issued a statement on the International Roma Day today. While we greet the fact that the country acknowledges its minority (about 10% of the population for the last thousand years), the situation in Bulgaria has gotten much worse for Rroma in the last few years. Segregation, racism, and discrimination are on the rise. Let’s stop this in a country where Rroma have been integrated for so long!

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia observes International Roma Day

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Slovenia observes the international Roma day with the presence of the Culture minister. This country has a tiny Rroma minority. Unfortunate choice of picture on the article which furthers standard stereotypes… But discussion is always welcomed.

News Western Europe

Addressing Anti-Tziganism …

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Addressing Anti-Tziganism …

An important part of the fight against prejudices towards Rroma is learning about their history and previous persecutions, such as the Holocaust. This is key, for only when one deals with one’s past can one actually shape one’s future.

The article assess that there have not been sufficient efforts to change the perceptions towards Rroma in the general population and only when this occurs, can one hope for a better future.

Hungary News Americas News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Canada: Systematic discrimination against Rroma refugees

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Canada: Systematic discrimination against Rroma refugees

CBC News report that Rroma refugees in Canada, mostly from Hungary, have been facing massive bias and discrimination in their cases. The report making this claim, authored by Sean Rehaag, a law professor, is damning for the immigration authorities in Canada. He speaks of “luck”, of little hope at appeals, and at denials at the actual situation of Rroma, especially in Hungary.

Belgium News Western Europe

In Belgium, stereotypes and the press

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In Belgium, stereotypes and the press

Belgium’s federal centre for equality of chances is organising meetings between the media and Rroma representatives to combat negative stereotypes in the press and to further a Rroma voice in the articles. They note that only two out 74 articles allowed Rroma to present their point of view.

About time…

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Rroma camps, thieves, and the usual clichés … France

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Rroma camps, thieves, and the usual clichés … France

Rroma camps still make the headlines in France. As if a small minority of 15 thousand Rroma was representative and was news. News is that they are being used, misused, and are becoming victims of French politics.

In Marseilles, a camp was closed; while in Antibes, the expulsion will have to wait a little; and in the North, around Roubaix, volunteers and Rroma are still mobilising to further integration and to prevent further expulsions; and in the South West of France, an expulsion of Bulgarian Rroma is reported while in Antibes, they are getting a short respite. Finally, In Nantes, a judge granted a permanent address to Rroma currently living in a camp, are-requisite to any integration in France.

The real pity is not the fate of these migrants, it is the fact that the French Press can’t seem to get over their short sighted stereotypes…

News Switzerland

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.

Greece News Western Europe

Racism in Greece

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Racism in Greece

In October 2012, a Rromni, Paraskevi Kokkoni was savagely beaten by local men in a context of racism and of attacks by rightist extremists against Rroma in that town. Three men were subsequently condemned to 8 months of jail and to a further suspended sentence of three further years.

A petition signed by 82’000 people was handed over to the Greek minister of the interior on March 6th. This petition urges Greece to act decisively against hate crimes.

News Western Europe

UK: What is racism?

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UK: What is racism?

A controversy in the UK followed a ruling finding a politician guilty of racism and discrimination against Rroma. A British Rrom and a Green candidate to the elections says no politician is different from another in this matter, and that newspapers tend to cover such comments in a way that portrays them defending the order and the community against Rroma.

Travellers and Rroma represent a community that is non-negligible and are voters. But only 10% of them voted in the last elections. This article offers an interesting analysis of the reasons why and the ways in which this is currently changing.

News Western Europe

Duisburg: A brochure documents the use of antiziganism by extreme rightist parties

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Duisburg: A brochure documents the use of antiziganism by extreme rightist parties

The city of Duisburg produced a study that clearly shows that extreme rightists parties started using the theme of Rroma and how this is based on daily racism, enabled by the media and politics. The broschure can be downloaded freely.

Bulgaria France News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

Why so much hatred?

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Why so much hatred?

While starting with a good intention, Planet.fr, in their article entitled “Roms: pourquoi tant de haine?” [Rroma: why so much hatred], manages to pack quite a few stereotypes and misinformation in a short article. They speak of 17’000 Rroma (only those who have arrived from Romania and Bulgaria), associating Rroma with migrants and neglecting the 500’000 who live in that country, speak of poverty, etc.

On the positive side, they mention that France is indeed quite racist at this stage against Rroma and tha French politics have a problem with Rroma.

Italy News Western Europe

Italian Textbook slammed for prejudice

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Italian Textbook slammed for prejudice

A court in Rome has found a publishing house that published a text book suggesting that „Gypsies“ were criminals, has been condemned for discrimination. This is a landmark case in Italy where these statements are all too often tolerated if not encouraged.

News Switzerland

22.02.15 Rroma, these unknown people whom we love to hate

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22.02.15 Rroma, these unknown people whom we love to hate

In Geneva, a theatre piece directed by Jérôme Richer questions the way we see Rroma. His show, oscillating between humour and seriousness serves many of the stereotypes on Rroma and their origins in the family and traditions. However, the actor and director mixes several topics in his presentation, speaking about travellers, speaking about Jenische, and the resulting picture, while coming from good intentions, misses the point. Rroma are clearly not as the gadže see them…

– Genecand, Marie-Pierre. Les Roms, ces inconnus qu’on adore détester. In: Le Temps. 19.02.2015. http://www.letemps.ch/…/Les_Roms_ces_inconnus_quon_adore_dé…

News Eastern Europe Romania

22.02.15 Romanian Rroma and Exclusion

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22.02.15 Romanian Rroma and Exclusion

The Economist reports on a wall that was erected in the Romanian city of Baia Mare around one of its Rroma settlements. The economist cites poverty, segregation, education as some of the biggest hurdles faced by Rroma in Romania. Interviewing the town’s mayor, he reports that there is nothing discriminatory in the wall and states that the commune is investing in desegregated housing, and that one of the building in the settlement will anyhow be renovated, with its inhabitants being re-located. A NGO helping Rroma integration is blunter: People like the wall, and there is “latent racism” against Rroma.

– Romania’s Roma: The art of exclusion. In: The Economist. 20.02.2015.http://www.economist.com/…/21644532-wall-segregated-towns-r…

Bulgaria News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania

22.02.15 A documentary on Rroma in Toulouse

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22.02.15 A documentary on Rroma in Toulouse

A young filmmaker Sahra Denard is currently making a documentary on Rroma migrants in the city of Toulouse. She is working with three Romanian sisters who live in an camp and will go with them in Romania, in their village of origin.

While the filmmaker wants to reduce stereotypes, the choice of subject contributes to re-enforce the general views on Rroma; Migrants from Romania or Bulgaria, poor, uneducated etc. On such a topic, the line between helping and damaging Rroma is a thin one to walk.

– Sarah Denard, un documentaire sur les Roms. In: La Dépèche. 19.02.2015. http://www.ladepeche.fr/…/2052220-sarah-denard-un-documenta…

Germany Kosovo News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

15.02.2015 Kosovo Refugees – German Calls for Action

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Following the sharp increase of people fleeing Kosovo to escape poverty and, in the case of Rroma, discrimination and outright racism, there are calls in Germany to be more stringent on theses asylum applications. Various measures have been suggested by politicians (Tagesspeigel) going to extraditing refugees also in the winter, as asked by politicians from the CDU (LNOnline). Some even deny that there is an issue in the country.

Politicians should be maybe remember, especially in Germany, that they recognised the country but also implicitly if not explicitly recognised the ethnic cleansing of minorities from the Kosovo. Ethnic states have no place in the 21st century!

– Simantke, Elisa; Monath, Hans. Streit um schnellere Abschiebung. In Der Tagesspeigel. 13.02.2015. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/…/fluechtlinge-aus…/11360670.html
– Streit um Asylbewerber aus dem Kosovo: Nord-CDU macht Druck. In: LNOnline. 13.02.2015. http://www.ln-online.de/…/Streit-um-Asylbewerber-aus-dem-Ko…
– Kosov ist kein Krisenland. Beate Merk im Gespräch mit Thielko Grieß. In: Deutschlandrundfunk. 14.02.2015.

 

News Eastern Europe Romania

08.02.2015 Meanwhile in Romania

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The Romanian television reports on the arrest of 19 Romanian Rroma in Milan for being procurers. They are reported to have trafficked Romanian women and forced them into prostitution. Again the criminal activity is clearly portrayed as an ethnic trait, fuelling the already strong racism against Rroma in Romania.

News Western Europe

08.02.2015 Two Rroma exhibited in an Art Gallery

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A contemporary art museum, the Malmö Konstall has an exhibition consisting of two homeless Rroma in a room begging. They are paid, and are not accepting any money from the visitors. The exhibition has been criticised by several organisations as being demeaning and as being an exploitation of human misery.

We would just say that in this particular case, the artist and the gallery have done their share to perpetuate age old stereotypes… This is clearly not acceptable.

 

 

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