France Roma: a European issue

Comment: The French newspaper “Le Figaro” dedicated a special file to the recent French policy targeting Roma people, following the dismantling of 300 Roma settlements and the increase of the “beneficiaries” of the assisted voluntary return programme or persons subject to forced repatriation.

A series of articles look at the French new policy through the prism of legal, social and political consequences of the dismantling and expulsion measures.

One article reports on the meeting held between French ministers in charge and officials from the European commission, and points out three topics of concern for the EC: the genuine character of the voluntary return of repatriated Roma, the attitude of the French authorities in the event that repatriated Roma are found back at the borders following their return, and the compliance of French Law with the 2004 directive on the rights of citizens of the Union and their family members to reside freely within the territory of the Member States.

The non compliance of the French policy of repatriation does not impede the government to study further legal possibilities to extend the grounds for expulsion of EU citizens, directly targeting activities such as begging which are widespread in some Roma communities.

The number of expulsions of Romanian and Bulgarian citizens since the beginning of the year reached 8030 persons on the 25th of August among which 1.291 were forcedly repatriated.

A vast array of international NGOs such as Amnesty International and International Organizations among which the United Nations urged the French government to revise its actual strategy and respect the provision of international treaties France is a party to. The Catholic church seconded these organizations, the Pope Benedict XVI implicitly declared that “the liturgical texts of this day tell us again that men are deemed to redemption. It is also an invitation to welcome the legitimate human diversities […]”.

All stakeholders however find consensus in saying that the “Roma issue” (as it is often quoted), requires a “European solution for a pan-European population”.

The French newspaper also offers in one section a visual insight into the condition of Roma families living in Barbulesti, a village 50 km north of Bucharest in Romania, with half of them being used to coming to France. In the video documentary, images clearly put the emphasis on the miserable conditions of one Roma camp but does not succeed in providing an accurate analysis of their condition.

Le Figaro does not however limit the analysis to the current French controversial policy but also offers a panorama of the cultural variety of Roma in Europe.

One article entitled “Europe and its Roma, between firmness and integration” interestingly put through the riddle the way European governments and policies deal with the Roma minority. It gives an overview of the different practices of European states and reveals a high level of discrimination and precariousness of the Roma minority widespread in the vast majority of European countries.

The series proposed by “Le Figaro” unfortunately fails to address the social impact of the French policy on those families returned to their homeland. Only a mere quote of Bernard Kouchner related to the condition of Roma families and children appears in the whole series of article:“It is heartbreaking to see, not only Roma, lots of others as well, but Roma in particular, being mistreated, exploited, children who are drugged to look sick and move people to pity. There is an oppression and even an enslavement of these people” said the French Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The shortcoming in addressing the social dimension of the events may not lie in the hands of the editorialists of Le Figaro, but rather in the political turn that is being taken in Europe in general and in France in particular, where the challenge of the integration of the Roma minority overshadows the vulnerability of children who are also the subject of the said policies.

To access the articles in French, click here

Read as well:

• AI, 02 Sept 2010: Slovak government urged to end segregation for Romani children
• Adnkronos, 01 Sept 2010: Mayor moves to demolish Roma Gypsy camps
• Macau Daily Times, 30 Aug 2010: The Plight of the Roma
• RTS, 28 Aug 2010: Meeting the Roma from Romania
• Toute l’Europe, 03 Aug 2010: Europe has to cope with a real fourth world

Comments: Pierre Cazenave, Regional Child Rights Officer, Regional Office of Terre des hommes – Child Relief for Central and South Eastern Europe.