France prodolzhanet conduct mass expulsion of Roma
Submitted by Редакция on 28 September, 2010 - 15:25
The state campaign of mass expulsion of Romani migrants in France has been going on for almost a month. Since late summer 2010 from France to Bulgaria and Romania were deported over a thousand illegals Roma. Also, the country sent more than a thousand Romanians. Gypsies deported from France as illegal migrants travel to the UK, Germany or Spain. About 90% of Roma expelled from France for the last month have already gone back to Western Europe. According to the deportees, they have no other choice, because at home, in Romania, they are doomed to live in poverty and discrimination.
France has explained its actions to combat illegal migration.Nevertheless, the authorities have been harshly criticized by the EU leaders who saw what was going on discrimination based on ethnicity.
In mid-September, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said "France will cancel all the illegal settlements on its territory, regardless of the nationality of migrants." Thus Sarkozy officially confirmed that the deportation of Gypsies to continue.
European Commissioner (Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship), Viviane Reding called the deportation "a disgrace", and the behavior of Paris in regard to European authorities "duplicitous".In addition, the commissioner likened the action against Roma with mass repression during the Second World War. This statement was interpreted as comparing the actions of Paris from Nazi persecution.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, in response to a fully supported his EU commissioner, adding only that "the choice of words could be unsuccessful."
Later, the European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding gave up his comparison of France, the deportation of Roma from repression during World War II.She said she did not want "to draw a parallel between the events of World War II and the actions of Paris today. "France is deeply shocked by the statements," - said Sarkozy. The European Commission "can not say with France in this way," - said the French head of state.
EU summit opens in conditions of acute crisis over the expulsion of Roma from France to Bulgaria and Romania.Gypsy question was not included in the official agenda of the summit, the main themes of which were matching "general line" of the EU's relations with strategic partners, as well as tighter fiscal discipline EU. EU summit ended in a hard collision between Paris and Brussels. Most EU countries supported the position of the European Commission, leaving France in fact in isolation.
At the last EU summit Viviane Reding reiterated that can attract France to court for the expulsion of Roma.Paris, however, continues to defend his decision.