Document Cites French Bid to Oust Roma
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PARIS -- French officials insist that they are not singling out the Roma as an ethnic group in their summer-long move to dismantle illegal camps of travelers, but an Interior Ministry document suggests otherwise.
The ministry circular, directed at the police prefects of French regions and first obtained and published by Agence France-Presse, says that 300 illegal camps must be cleared within three months, "the priority, those of the Roma." The circular is dated Aug. 5, and it follows an earlier document dated June 24, before President Nicolas Sarkozy's speech in Grenoble in late July promising to crack down on illegal encampments of what the French refer to as "gens du voyage."
That first document does not specifically mention the Roma, also known as Gypsies, but discusses illegal encampments in general, many of which are populated by French citizens, including Roma with French citizenship who cannot be deported.
Only last week, France, in the form of Immigration Minister Éric Besson, promised the European Parliament, which expressed condemnation of the moves against Romanians and Bulgarians who overstay their visas, especially the Roma, that "France has taken no specific measure regarding the Roma."
Mr. Besson said that "France is not engaged in any collective expulsion," and said that "the Roma are not considered as Roma as such, but as citizens of their country of nationality."
The Parliament, in a nonbinding resolution, called on France to halt the deportations of Roma who stay beyond the three months they are allowed in France.
If those who overstay their visas cannot show a work permit and a steady job, the police have been issuing them orders to leave France within a month or offering them free flights home and a payment of about 300 euros.
But the Interior Ministry documents clearly establish the Roma as a priority for the camp clearing. The introduction to the Aug. 5 circular recalls the targets set by Mr. Sarkozy and repeatedly singles out the Roma.
"Three hundred illegal camps or sites must be evacuated in three months, in priority those of the Roma," it says.
The circular says each department, or region, must commit to "systematic action to dismantle the illegal camps, in priority those of the Roma." The circular was released about a week after the Grenoble speech.
First Published September 13, 2010 2:01 am
