News First they came for the Romani?

[rynnor]

Stop this state persecution of Roma | Ethel Brooks | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Irrespective of what you think of the Romani I dont really see how any of this is legal under EU law to say the least?

Are we really back in the xenophobic europe years again - how quickly they forget?

 

[Tom]

Maybe they should come here, then they'll be able to set up in a field, build a site without planning permission, get utilities installed, not pay any tax, and watch as the council does fuck all about it.

/edit:although I should add that this rant is more about pikeys than Romani travellers.

 

[rynnor]

The problem in France is that despite Romania being part of the EU they have put in quota's on those coming to France to work so the Romani cannot work legally.

I think its just being used for cheap political capital but it still surprises me that any mainstream party in the country of 'liberty' can get away with this?

 

[Raven]

What we need is some kind of solution and get it sorted out once and for all.

 

[cHodAX]

The article is written by a woman on Romanian origin living in the U.S. and she is far too emotionally invested to give an unbiased opinion, I am suprised the Guardian have published.

 

[Zenith.UK]

The Guardian isn't exactly the scion of unbiased reporting, is it?

 

[SilverHood]

Rynnor, it is cheap political currency. Can't directly target them, that would be discriminatory, but can enact laws to get a lot of them. It's ironic that the lady is in the USA... because the US Citizen and Immigration service does exactly the same thing. Only no one writes articles in the Guardian when 100 Indian's get deported despite having all their documents in order.

As Tom said, the traveling groups don't exactly help themselves.... if they left every field in the same state as they arrived, then they wouldn't have such a bad reputation.

In the case of France, they have serious issues with some of their non native youth. In Grenoble, the army had to be sent in because youths were shooting at the police with AK47's! Something has to be done, but since those youths aren't likely to give up their bricks and car burnings for pétanque any time soon, it is up to the politicians to devise a solution using the instruments they have available.

 

[throdgrain]

Good for them I say

 

[DaGaffer]

Having read the article, and the comments, it looks like the guy who was shot wasn't even "Roma", he was a French "Traveller" who'd shot someone, rammed a police barricade while high and then tried to do it again. The original writer is lazily trying to throw a racist charge to excuse criminal behaviour. She also does the classic "lump together Roma, Gypsies and Travellers to confuse the issue" trick.

 

[Raven]

What more do you expect from the Guardian? They have about as much credibility as the Sun...

The usual biased lazy reporting we have come to expect from newspapers.

 

[MrHorus]

Irrespective of what you think of the Romani I dont really see how any of this is legal under EU law to say the least?

Freedom of movement is subject to being able to support one's self.

If they cannot support themselves then France can legally deport them.

Of course, there is nothing to stop them coming back in again...

 

[Scouse]

it still surprises me that any mainstream party in the country of 'liberty' can get away with this?

What surprises me is that you think we live in countries of liberty.

Well, it would surprise me, but it was you who posted it so....