Tag Archives: Education

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02.04.2014 “Cause commune” shows the possibility of successful integration

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The documentary “Cause commune” by Sophie Averty shows the positive example of successful integration by five immigrant Rroma families. In the municipality of Indre, in the Loire-Atlantique, citizens, politicians, and immigrants together committed for a successful integration of immigrant families. The downside of this policy was the selection of the immigrant Rroma families, with five chosen. The rest were referred to other communities. Averty sums up: “The necessary condition is a commitment on the part of citizens and politics as well as the desire of families to integrate. The first approach of the mayor was to refuse the eviction in order to avoid the application of a pass the buck policy. And that changed everything for the families. […] The mayor, who based his views on the knowledge of the community police and the citizens collective, selected five families. Today, all the men work, the women do housework and the children are enrolled in school. But there are no supports payments! Each family pays a rent, water, electricity, the canteen of the children and there are no delays” (Barbier 2014).

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29.03.2014 Rroma writer Hejkrlíková: giving Rroma a voice

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Fischer (2014) reports on Jana Hejkrlíková, a Rromni writer from the Czech Republic. She experienced life before and after the Prague Spring. She describes the political event as a turning point in her life and that of many other Rroma: “When I was little, my life was very different than elsewhere in the Czech Republic”, translates Veronika Patočková, co-initiator of the book tour, the conversation into German. Jana Hejkrlíková lived together with her mother, siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins in a house. “You could not disguise or retreat yourself. They were all around you.” The law of the Roma provides for that. The family as a refuge, as a home. However, the situation changed with the so-called normalization after the Prague Spring. Large Roma families were torn apart, resettled into small families. “Since, I have lived in two worlds”, says Hejkrlíková. [ … ] “In school, we had to pretend as if we were Czechs”, she says. Their language was prohibited. Most Roma children were sent to special schools, which often still happens today.” For Hejkrlíková, it is important to point out to the public that there are Rroma writers too. She aims to deconstruct prejudices with her books and to demonstrate similarities between Rroma and Gadje (compare Weser Kurier 2014).

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29.03.2014 Discrimination against Rroma in Sweden

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Several newspapers report on the publication of a white paper by the Swedish government which discusses the discrimination against Rroma in Sweden. The Swedish minister of interior, Erik Ullenhag, announced in a public statement that the discrimination against Rroma in Sweden was especially large at the beginning of the 20th century, but still remains today. He said that he was shocked about how much this contempt towards this minority was anchored in history. This is reflected in the fact that even today many still keep their identity secret to the outside world. The publication also deals with discrimination at the workplace, denial of suffrage, schooling, child benefits and pensions, as well as racial biology registrations and forced sterilization. Om the occasion of the publication of the white paper, the chairman of the Rroma council of Gothenburg experienced herself during her stay in Stockholm that reservations towards Rroma are still massive. Employees of the Sheraton Hotels denied her access to the dining room, when she tried to enter the room in a traditional Rroma dress in the morning: “She was staying at the four-star Sheraton Hotel, a stone’s throw away from parliament and the government quarter, but when the 45-year-old went down for breakfast she was offered a modern-day example of the discrimination that the white-paper on Tuesday admitted had been endemic in Sweden. Nyman, who wears a traditional wide black skirt and frilly blouse and who recently fielded questions about beggars in an online chat, said she was almost knocked over by a staff member who rushed to bar the Roma expert and speaker from entering the breakfast room.” Nyman is particularly shocked by the fact that the hotel manager did not excuse the behaviour of the staff, but even justified it. A few days later only, the manager apologized in an open letter for the discriminatory treatment of the Rromni (Government Offices of Sweden 2014, The Local 2014/I, The Local 2014/II, The Local 2014/III, The Local 2014/IV, NZZ 2014).

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26.03.2014 End discrimination against Rroma in the health care system

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Jovanovic (2014) reports on the still poor access of Rroma to the European health care system. This is reflected in lower life expectancy, increased sensitivity to various diseases and outright discrimination in health institutions. The widespread poverty among Rroma additionally hinders their access to good health care. On the occasion of this large deficit, the European Commission launched a conference with the aim to reduce discrimination when accessing health care. For Rroma, this means better participation in the implementation of health programs. The Rroma need to be more involved in the conception and execution of these programs. It is frightening that the topic does not end with discrimination, but there are still deliberate physical interventions such as sterilizations, that are performed: “When Roma are segregated from other patients, coerced into sterilization during childbirth, given substandard treatment, or told to go elsewhere for follow-up, all Europeans are degraded. It is a shocking irony that many of us should experience such harm at the very hospitals and clinics that ought to provide us with support and care. The result is costly for Europe’s economy and for health systems. Europe’s Roma population is young — the average age of Roma is only 25 — but too many of us lack the education and training needed to enter the labor market, resulting in the loss of 175 million euros each year, according to the World Bank.”

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21.03.2014 Fire in Rroma camp in Fontaine

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France 3 (2014) reports on a fire in a Rroma camp in Fontaine, in the region of Grenoble. Most of the dwellings of the thirty residents were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable:  “The fire broke out in the Rroma camp behind the BUT store at around 15 o’clock, near the Gérard Philippe high school. The residents of the camp and the students who were present at the site were quickly evacuated. Firefighters believe explosions of gas bottles in the barracks caused the fire. Several of them in fact exploded but the firefighters were able to cope with the flames.” Two men were slightly injured. The residents of the camp were housed in tents by the city council of Fontaine (see Le Dauphiné 2014). – The safety deficiencies in illegal settlements are the subject of repeated political disputes. While certain politicians interpret these as a justification for rigorous evictions, others see them as evidence for the need to better supply the camps with water, electricity and sanitation, rendering improvised installations unnecessary, installations which indeed show security flaws.

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19.03.2014 Integration of Rroma in Montreal

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Solyom (2014) focuses on the integration of Rroma in Montreal, based on the enrolment of Rroma children. Many immigrant Rroma families from Eastern Europe have great reservations about public schools because they made bad experiences with public services in Europe. This applies in particular to school psychologists, who are often responsible for the wrongful admission to special school in Eastern Europe. For example, some parents didn’t give their phone number to the local school, fearing that their children could become victims of discrimination and bullying there: “In Europe, school is seen as an arm of the government, and when you’re Roma, you always assume you’ll be treated badly,” Savic [a Romni mediator] says, adding that if there’s a conflict between a Roma student and a non-Roma student, the Roma student is blamed. “Even my family doesn’t always say they’re Roma. Here, being Roma is exotic. There, people stop talking to you.” It is also thanks to Savic that Rroma children were not, as initially planned, incorporated into a separate class, but allocated into existing classes. However, the motivation to attend school is weakened by forthcoming repatriations. Two-thirds of the Rroma immigrants are deported back to Eastern Europe.

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14.03.2014 The Rroma build part of French Society

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Vincent (2014) reports on an agreement that the French government has concluded with the national society for social housing (Adoma). In contrast to Sarkozy’s government, Vincent argues, the socialist government slowly but surely realizes that the Rroma debate is not an issue of migration but a problem of housing. However, there is a problem with the plan to move Rroma from the camps into social housing: in the Ile-de-France, where according to an assessment two-thirds of the immigrant Rroma stay, too few apartments are available. The temporary allocation into hotels in the agglomeration often hinders the schooling of the children and the autonomy of families. The so-called “insertion villages” are not a long-term solution and are also very costly. On behalf of the government and the society for social housing, the sub-prefect Jérôme Normand now conducts a survey on the situation in the slums and the insertion villages. With the collected information on the population of the settlements, the allocation to social housing is expected to be better coordinated. However, a fundamental problem remains the financing of the social housing: “The great weakness of all these initiatives is their funding. The funds from which Adoma has profited, will have to be rapidly increased on the basis of urgency loans. The budget that was allocated to the integration policy, that in particular finances the French courses, fell by 3% in 2014 [ … ].”

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14.03.2014 “Students should learn more about Sinti and Roma”

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The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (2014) reports on the plan of the ministry of culture of the state of Hessen, to expand the teaching on the history of the Rroma. Students should in the future be better informed about the centuries of persecution and exclusion of the Rroma. Therefore, the ministry of culture, together with the association of Hessian Sinti and Rroma, has created a brochure that will be distributed to all schools of the state till summer. In addition, the Hessen government will increase its support for the minority: “It is important that Gypsies can preserve their ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious identity”, said chief minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) in Wiesbaden at the signing of the agreement with the national association of Sinti and Roma. The paper addresses, among other things, the need to end discrimination and to promote the cultural identity and language”. Knowledge about the history and culture of the Rroma is often permeated with misinformation. Therefore, an objective, differentiated teaching about the Rroma is anything but an easy task. The prime minister of Hessians, Volker Bouffier, announced in his statement that the country is now fulfilling its historical responsibility. Adam Strauss, chairman of the Hessian association of Sinti and Rroma, called it shameful that many Rroma still keep their identity a secret out of fear of being discriminated. This must change now (see Focus online 2014, von Bebenburg 2014, Journal Frankfurt 2014, Die Welt 2014).

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14.03.2014 Dubious statistics confirm prejudices against Rroma

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The HM Inspectorate of Prisons (2014) published a study that nourishes false prejudices about an increased crime rate among Rroma. Although the study points out that the alleged affiliation rate of 5% of the detainees could be the result of social exclusion, they confirm at the same time one-sided conceptions of illiteracy and lack of education among Rroma. Rroma children are said to be particularly over-represented in prisons. The lack of education is cited as the main cause for the claimed increased crime rates among Rroma: “It has been suggested that Gypsy, Romany and Traveller groups are among the most excluded minority groups in the UK, and available research and data points to poorer health, educational and social outcomes. Of particular relevance to this paper are: difficulties with literacy, which have an impact on accessing services and jobs.” The authors of the study are not or not sufficiently aware that they hinder a successful integration of Rroma with the publication of these results, because these confirm prejudices. At the end, the study indicates that the department of justice has to apply efforts to better integrate the Rroma and Travellers, but the announcement of this intention doesn’t at all compensate the prejudices that are fuelled by the study (compare Barrett 2014, BBC 2014, Cottrell-Boyce 2014, Doyle 2014, The Guardian 2014).

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Matharu (2014) shows in his article the historical roots of Rroma in the UK, dating back five hundred years. With his chronology Matharu creates a counter-image to wide spread misconceptions that Rroma are not real Europeans: “1. Romany gypsies have been stopping in Ewell since 1677. They were [often] called Babylonians because nobody could imagine where they came from. […] 6. Gypsies were valued as farm workers because they could quickly bring in crops. They harvested potatoes at Wallace Fields and turnips at Ewell Court. […] 8. After schools were opened up to Gypsies in 1906, many families made efforts to get their children educated. They were enrolled at West Street School and Ewell Grove. 9. Many Gypsies fought in both World Wars.”

In the UK, the equation of Rroma and Irish Travellers often causes confusion. The latter have emerged from the formerly sedentary European population, who started travelling due to political upheavals in the early 15th century. The Rroma have originated in India and have their own language, Rromanes. Most Rroma are not travellers.

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07.03.2014 Francetv info: “Who are the Rroma?”

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In a series of five articles, Francetv Info presents the lives of immigrant Rroma in France. Unfortunately, the only Rroma getting a voice already stood in the focus of media attention through the focus on differences to the general population. Baïetto’s (2014) text focuses on the fate of a Rroma family in Champs-sur-Marne. The article accuses the eviction-policy of the French authorities, but at same time confirms stereotypical notions of neglected Rroma that beg and sell scrap metal. In addition, once again only visible Rroma get a chance to speak: “For many families in their situation, scrap iron and begging are the two basic sources of income. The men get up very early in the morning, looking for pieces of metal they can sell. The women beg in the streets of the city and make five or six Euros a day.” The Rroma interviewed emphasize that life in France, in spite of their apparently miserable conditions, is still much better than in Romania. Here they don’t go hungry and the children can attend the school. Since she is living in France, says one Rromni, she had to change her accommodation a dozen times due to forced evictions. This happened in a time period of four years.

Legrand (2014) portrays a young Rrom who left Romania at the age of thirteen. Elvetian works as a middleman. He provides his acquaintances with outlets for objects such as mobile phones or jewellery whose origin are doubtful. In the following section Elvetian tells about his childhood, in which he committed shoplifting and illegal copper collection. He was deported several times, but always travelled back to France, because his entire family lives here. Legrand’s article gives an overview of the difficulties immigrant Rroma face in their attempt to integrate into the labour market and French society. However, her article confirms stereotypes about stealing Rroma, as the have been widely disseminated by the media. Therefore, one cannot describe the selection of the portrayed Rroma as fortunate nor as representative.  

The third article deals with a fifteen-year old Rrom who prostitutes himself in front of the Gare du Nord in Paris. He earns twenty to thirty Euros per client, who he usually serves on the toilets of the train station and the surrounding fast food restaurants. He has no pimp, but regular customers. Between thirty and fifty young Rrom prostitute themselves in front of the Gare du Nord, according to the sociologists Olivier Peyroux. One of the reasons for this are the difficulties minors face in finding a regular job. The article paints a picture of prostitution that is practiced out of poverty and lack of alternatives and not equated with human trafficking. Nevertheless, also this article has to be described as one-sided, as it confirms stereotypes of prostituting Rroma (Legrand 2014/II).

The fourth article focuses on the fate of a Rroma family from Timisoara, in north-western Romania. The family of 32-year-old Viktor benefited from an active integration policy, which was conducted between 2000 and 2007 by the agglomeration syndicate Sénart. As a result of the active integration policy, the portrayed family received a council house on the condition that the children regularly attend school, that the parents actively seek work and they would not beg: “At the end of the 1990s, Rroma families settled down in the heart of the new town. Some voters complained and the prefecture decided to try something out.  […] Based on their behaviour and their history, the prefecture chose 23 Rroma families and settled them on a site with sanitary facilities.” In return for their active integration efforts, the families received first job offers and residence permits, so that they would be able to raise the necessary funds to purchase regular social housing. In 2007, Sénart stopped its support payments to the families due to lacking funds. Viktor and his family could remain in the social housing thanks to his job in a supermarket. They do not approve the one-sided portrayal of the Rroma in the French media: “I hear pranksters about Romanians in television, rants Viktor. […] If a Romanian causes problems, they equate all Romanians, he complaints. Look at me, I’m working, I have a house and my children go to school, he tells.” The fourth article, concerning the stereotypical representations of Rroma, clearly can be better rated than the other ones. It shows the positive example of a successful integration. However, that there are other integrated Rroma in France, who are living the country since generations or decades, a fact that is not mentioned here either (Baïetto 2014/II).

The fifth article in the series also tries to create a counter-image against stereotypical notions of Rroma. Florin, a Rrom of 25 years, works as a storeman and speaks perfect French. Only as a teenager, when he newly arrived from Romania in France, he was begging. Then he made the acquaintance of a mart trader, for whom he worked illegally for seven years. His girlfriend helped him to learn French. After problems with the residence permit, Florin’s family was one of the few beneficiaries of the infamous, inter-ministerial circular of the 26th August 2012. His parents got a council house and he and his wife a room in a hotel. In September 2013, he finally finds a legal job as a storeman in Rungis. However, he still has no definite residence permit, even though he would like to integrate and live his life in France (Baïetto 2014/III).

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07.03.2014 Segregation of Rroma-children in Hungary and Slovakia

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Thorpe (2014) reports on a court ruling that concerns a segregated school in Nyiregyhaza, in north-eastern Hungary. Human rights activists filed suit against the school run by the Greek-Catholic church, as it taught almost exclusively Rroma children. The school was already closed in 2007, in the course of desegregation plans and then reopened in 2011: “The Chance for Children Foundation, a Hungarian organisation that campaigns for Roma education rights, then sued both the Church and the Hungarian state for introducing segregation. The judge ruled on Friday that the current functioning of the school violates both Hungarian laws on equal opportunity, and Council of Europe recommendations.” The judgment could affect many other schools in Hungary, which also have a high proportion of Rroma children. – Consciously segregated schools have to be firmly opposed, because they promote the exclusion of the Rroma and impede successful integration. However, schools that have a high proportion of Rroma children because of mere geographical reasons, should be assessed carefully when deciding over a closure.

Springer (2014) reports on the segregation of Rroma children in Slovakia. In the northwest of the country, in the village Šarišské Michaľany, a new headmaster Jaroslav Valastiak took office one year ago. Valastiak was hired in response to a court decision that is hopefully a  precedent, which called for the abolition of segregation at the local school. It is astonishing that segregation hasn’t decreased but actually increased significantly since the early 1990s, to today’s estimated 40% of the Rroma-children: “Before Valastiak started, Roma students weren’t allowed in the school’s cafeteria. They received a cold, dry ‘lunch’ of cereal and juice before school each morning, while non-Roma students ate freshly served hot meals in the lunchroom at noon. Before the court ruling Roma and non-Roma students spent recess in segregated yards and were taught in separate classes, on different floors of the school. Valastiak says non-Roma students received more thorough lessons, while Roma classes were rudimentary.” In response to the court ruling, sixteen of the best Rroma students were integrated into the non-Rroma classes. Reasons for the gradual mixing and not the complete abolition of the segregation are the sometimes inadequate Slovakian language skills of Rroma children, the headmaster states. He wants the desegregation to be successful, therefore it has to take place gradually, he states. Another problem for the desegregation lies in the regulation allowing parents to choose the school regardless of where they live. This leads to an additional separation of ethnic Slovaks and Rroma.

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07.03.2014 Renewed deportation of school-enrolled Rroma children

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Alain (2014) reports on a new, uncompromising deportation of Rroma children enrolled in French schools. At the end of 2013, the deportation of young Rromni Leonarda and her family caused such large media coverage that president Françoise Hollande himself offered Leonarda a return to France. She rejected the offer, because she said she would only return with her entire family. The responsible court rejected this request. An almost identical case has now taken place in Saint-Fons. The eight-year-old Rroma girl Patricia and her five siblings, who went to school in the city were picked up by the police and deported along with their parents on the very same day. Earlier, the police had confiscated their identity papers and instead illegally handed them receipts and forbidden them to leave the district. It is particularly alarming that the Rroma were previously taught in a specially created minority-class, in Saint- Fons, which was located in the same building as the police. Only because of demonstrations and legal interventions this segregation was then cancelled.

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28.02.2014 The liberals of Lausanne are concerned about the enrolment of Rroma children

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Bourgeois (2014) reports on an absurd case of municipal politics in Lausanne. Exponents of the Lausanne liberal party, represented by Henri Klunge, are concerned about the enrolment of Rroma children in local schools. Reason for the dispute: the integration of the children is said to encourage their parents to beg. Klunge criticises: “In his text, Henri Klunge questions the coherence of the Lausanne policy towards the Rroma. On one hand, the policy prohibits the residence of Rroma in Prés-de-Vidys, where their temporary accommodations were destroyed, on the other hand, it allowed them to settle down in an unused building in the north of Lausanne.” Tosato Oscar, councillor of Lausanne, qualifies the criticism of Klunge. The enrolment of children has no connection with the ban of begging in Lausanne, but relies on the international children’s rights. In addition, the enrolment of the children doesn’t come at the expense of Lausanne’s taxpayers. The dispute over the enrolment of four Rroma children shows the strength of the prejudices that hold against the minority. If one makes the integration of the Rroma as difficult as possible, their situation won’t change anytime in the near future.

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28.02.2014 The integration of Rroma in Europe achieves only little progress

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Fontanella-Khan/Eddy (2014) take as a reference the fate of Rroma in Northeast-Hungary to question the effectiveness of European integration efforts towards Rroma. Analysts as well as people affected share the opinion that the situation of Rroma in Europe hasn’t changed. The controversial assessment that there is a European “Rroma problem” is also shared by the European justice commissioner Viviane Reding. However, it must be made clear that right-wing politicians connect the concept of a “Rroma problem” with an alleged lack of desire to integrate, while others use it to describe the striking marginalization of the minority. The latter view is shared by the authors of the article: “The biggest struggle for the Roma has been overcoming stereotypes that depict them as travelling petty criminals unwilling to integrate into mainstream society. [ … ] Images of Roma beggars across Europe have fortified past prejudices, even though a study by the UNDP of Roma migrants in Belgium showed that the overwhelming majority had emigrated to work rather than claim benefits or abuse the welfare system.” A brief recap of the history of suffering that Rroma endured since their arrival in Europe follows. The current situation of the Rroma in the European Union does not look rosy either. In most Western European countries, they are confronted with a rigorous policy of expulsion. Fontanella-Khan/Eddy criticise the EU and the national governments for having failed in effectively fighting racism and prejudice against the Rroma. An additional problem is declining public funds for the education of the younger generation. The Roma Education Fund regrets this in particular. Reasons for the lack of effectiveness of the integration programs are passed from various departments to others. Moreover, the EU shows little efforts in the implementation of minority rights through the governments of its member states. One of the problems lies in the lacking analysis of the effectiveness of the overall programs. Although the EU tracks where the money is spent, it doesn’t analyze the effectiveness of the programs it funds. Local politicians who are entrusted with the implementation of integration programs, often have a bad attitude towards the Rroma and intentionally corrupt the integration efforts.

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28.02.2014 Discrimination against Rroma in the Czech Republic

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Anna Šabatová has just been elected as the ombudswoman of the Czech Republic. In an interview with the Prager Zeitung she declares her intention of a dedicated combat against the discrimination of Rroma in the Czech Republic: “We should especially start to consistently call by name the discriminatory acts arising from prejudice. In this matter, I agree with the intention of the ministry of education, to make one year kindergarten for all pre-school children – including for Roma children – compulsory. This could have a positive impact on their entry into the school system. Education is the move toward integration into society and also to a balanced perception through society.” Rroma are affected by strong discrimination in the education system in the Czech Republic. They are often put into separate classes for learning difficulties or disabilities, although no deficiencies are present. In addition, segregated classes as well as segregated schools still exist (Prager Zeitung 2014).

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28.02.2014 Teaching about Rroma: Promotion of critical thinking or confirmation of stereotypes?

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Koepping (2014) reports on special lessons that were designed to teach primary students of Höhenschönhausen on the culture and history of the Rroma.  The teacher for humanities and environment, Susanne Meier, was the project’s initiator. The goal of wanting to provide students with information about the lives of Rroma is laudable. Unfortunately, when reading the text one gets the impression that students were taught in positive stereotypes, rather than ask to think about issues such as stereotypes and exclusion: “Within their classes they travelled to the memorial at the Otto-Rosenberg-Platz in Marzahn, where a Nazi labour camp for Roma and Sinti was located during 1936-43. The musicians Janko Lauenberger and Wilfried Ansin came to visit and told the students of the world of gypsy-swing, and together with Susanne Meier they sang Roma songs.” Prejudice against an ethnic group are one thing, but one should be very careful what and how to teach about an ethnic minority. With the replacement of negative stereotypes with positive ones, one doesn’t help Rroma in their integration efforts. That the lessons described confirmed misconceptions of patriarchal structures and entrenched traditions can be seen in the response of an eleven year old student: “I don’t like that the boys have more rights and that the girls and women always have to wear skirts.”

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21.02.2014 Discrimination against Rroma in Hungary worryingly high

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Matache (2014) reports on the results of a study published by the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University. The study criticises the increasing institutional racism against the Rroma in Hungary and the tolerance of extremist groups who rally against the minority. The discrimination against Rroma has strongly increased since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008. The Hungarian government did almost do nothing to respond to these recent development: “Though the rise of racially motivated crimes and violent attacks since 2008 should have given strong signals for intervention, the FXB report shows how weak Hungarian government’s response has been. Because of its failure to act definitively, perpetrators and their followers have been emboldened, unhindered by any public outrage or strong government sanction. Racist violence is increasingly accepted as a legitimate form of retribution, a model followed by citizens, organisations, and leaders alike.” The Hungarian minister of human resources, Zoltán Balog, meanwhile emphasises in his public statements the strong efforts of Hungary to successfully integrate the Rroma in the majority society. He particularly draws attention to the economic potential of the minority. In his opinion, great progress has been made. However, that his point of view is the one of a politician of the ruling party, should not be forgotten. Concern about the increasing racism is appropriate (compare FXB Center 2014).

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21.02.2014 The movie “Lungone Dromença” gives Kosovo refugees in France and Germany a voice

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Delacou (2014) reports on the new documentary by the filmmakers Marie-Christine and Pierre Duchalet Gadrey. The two directors give five Rromni who fled from the war in Kosovo avoice. The filmmakers already knew a Rroma family from Kosovo, through their work for the organization Réseau éducation sans frontières (RESF). The film wants to establish a counter-image to the strongly negative loaded representation and perception of the minority by the media and the public: “By realizing our documentation, we wanted to show the true face of this community: people like everyone else with the same desires and objectives: live free, work, raise their children in peace, being accommodated decently.”  For the five eyewitnesses, the film is also a revelation of their own history and identity to the public: “They are now well integrated in France and Germany. No one knows that they are Rroma! Not even their colleagues, not even her friends. They kept their identity systematically secret, for fear of being rejected.” This film is also a call for more social tolerance and a more humane asylum policy. Although a return agreement between the countries involved exists, the effective situation of Rroma in the Kosovo is not really considered.

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21.02.2014 Rroma doing community service in favor of other Rroma

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Libération (2014) reports on the new project “Romcivic” by the organization Les Enfants du Canal. 24 young, unemployed Rroma were recruited for community service. Their task is to help the residents of illegal settlements with their everyday problems and to explain them their rights. By working in the program, their chances on the labour market should be improved so that they can lead a normal life in the future: “We want to be like all the other people and work, have a normal life, a life like you […] The goal [of the project] is to integrate the young people in France and to finally enable them an education.” However, the promotion of the selected few also attracts the anger of other immigrated Rroma, who see themselves disadvantaged.

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