Sarkozy's gaul

Following a series of anti-Roma announcements at the end of July by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, authorities have moved full-speed ahead with the eviction and deportation of hundreds of Roma to their native Romania and Bulgaria. In the first weeks following the announcement, more than 700 Roma were reportedly evicted from more than 40 camps, and more than 635 European Union citizens were sent home with several hundred euros in their pockets.

The recent measures also target native French Roma and Travelers for eviction from informal settlements. Most recently, the French government called for an immigration summit Sept. 6, to which it invited the largest EU member states as well as Canadian authorities, who made headlines in 2009 for their efforts to curb a reported influx of Czech Roma asylum-seekers.

All of this takes place against the backdrop of sweeping generalizations by Sarkozy that Roma from Eastern Europe live in illegal French settlements in an "unacceptable situation of lawlessness" linked to "illicit trafficking, deeply unworthy living conditions and exploitation of children for begging, prostitution or crime."

Civil society groups, media and international human rights bodies have strongly protested the French government's actions, in part because while the French government has singled out Roma groups for such negative treatment, it has failed to implement its own laws or develop policies that promote the inclusion of these groups. France has already been found in violation of international human rights law twice for failing to provide adequate housing for French migrant Roma and Traveler groups. One of the decisions followed a complaint brought by my organization, the European Roma Rights Centre, under the European Social Charter, and determined there was a lack of sufficient halting sites for such groups, that these sites were often dangerous and unsanitary and that the eviction of Travelers and Roma from unauthorized sites occurred with "unjustified violence."

The newest wave of evictions may well present the same problems while also giving rise to concerns about adherence to legal processes. The French government has made assurances that all expulsions will take place on the basis of individual consideration. However, given the nature and scope of the expulsion measures requested by Sarkozy within a three-month period, it appears highly questionable that proper procedures, due process and individual consideration can be ensured. In fact, many of the returns to date appear to have taken place under the guise of "voluntary" or "humanitarian" return programs. The extent to which these returns result from coercion or fear of eviction or police violence and harassment should not be discounted. 

In recent days, Czech government representatives responsible for human rights and foreign affairs are reported to have acknowledged that all of this may be motivated by racism and goes against the ideals of European unity.

In 2009, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights expressed concern that in the absence of any integration policy, many Roma, like the ones targeted in Sarkozy's newest plan, remain unregistered and unable to enjoy civil, political, economic and social rights, even though EU law guarantees citizens the right to move and reside in other EU countries. The employment restrictions maintained by France on Romanian and Bulgarian nationals play a large part in this as they keep Roma out of employment and in poverty.

It is worth recalling that the French government's efforts to deport Roma from Romania and Bulgaria date back to at least 2007 and that France is not alone in its treatment of Roma. Similar measures and attitudes have been pursued in various other EU countries: In 2008, Italy declared a state of emergency in response to the presence of Roma and has since been evicting Roma; in June 2009, Germany paid more than 100 Roma to return to Romania and has been deporting Roma to Kosovo; this past July, Denmark expelled 23 Roma to Romania; and amid outcries about public security, Finland has also threatened expulsions. In many cases, these actions have followed negative statements by public officials that Roma are given to crime and other anti-social behavior.

As human rights advocates, I suppose we can thank Sarkozy for casting a spotlight on practices that raise serious concern about respect for fundamental rights and new forms of structural discrimination against Roma in Europe. The measures currently being pursued in France and elsewhere only amplify long-standing and long-known problems. They are not the desperately needed solution to the situation of Europe's most marginalized minority group and simply put off providing real solutions for yet another day.

Roma are leaving Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and other countries for the West because of discrimination and poverty. Roma are targeted by extremist violence, and opinion polls continue to show the majority of non-Roma people are hostile toward their Roma neighbors. Roma cannot get jobs at home. Roma children are schooled in segregated environments offering substandard education.

Roma inclusion is a problem to be tackled throughout the EU; it is a concern for long-standing citizens' groups and also newly arrived migrant groups. It is an issue of all member states, not only the older ones. Freedom of movement and residence in Europe is making this reality all the more clear. Member state governments now need to find ways to make this right of EU citizenship work for everyone. Policing and public security responses will not tackle the root causes of exclusion.

The member states that have in recent months and years responded to the presence of Roma in their countries with expulsions and public security rhetoric do not participate in the Decade of Roma Inclusion, of which the Czech Republic currently holds the presidency. This initiative, while slow to produce the concrete results so badly needed, provides a model for the kind of political commitment and cross-border cooperation that increasingly appears to be necessary at the EU level.

Numerous countries and NGOs now call for a European Framework Strategy on Roma Inclusion. This would be a clear step forward in terms of guiding EU and member state responses to the integration and inclusion of Roma. At the Second Roma Summit in April, the European Commission's vice president recalled that, "despite our best efforts, the situation of many Roma seems to have deteriorated over the years. That is simply not acceptable."

The new Czech government, as the current Decade president, can and should take a leadership role in Europe in seeking to make real a positive EU policy response to the structural discrimination and exclusion experienced by Roma in Europe.

- The author is programs director at the Budapest-based European Roma Rights Centre.

Tara Bedard can be reached at
features@praguepost.com