SPOTLIGHT ON FRANCE: Targeted Evictions and Deportations of Roma
19 August 2010
This special section of our website contains updated information and links related to the anti-Romani and anti-Traveller measures conducted by the French Government since President Sarkozy’s 28 July announcement. Media inquiries and other requests should be directed to: sinan.gokcen@errc.org (+36.30.500.1324).
ERRC Actions
27 September: ERRC provides European Commission further evidence of French violations of EU Law.
22-28 September: The ERRC conducts ongoing documentation of returns and evictions in France, Romania and Bulgaria.
21 September: The ERRC and other rights groups appeal to US Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton to speak out against evictions and expulsions of Roma in France.
17 September: The ERRC meets with European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek during his visit to Budapest to brief him on the situation of Roma in Europe and particularly events in France.
8-9 September: The ERRC meets lawyers and NGOs in France.
7 September: The ERRC attends European Parliament hearing on returns of Roma from France.
27 August: The ERRC submits legal brief to European Commission concerning situation of Roma in France.
20 August: Update on ERRC and Association Parudimos discussions with Roma returned by French government to the airport in Timisoara, Romania.
19 August: The ERRC and Romanian organisations Romani Criss and Civic Alliance of Roma in Romania prepare to meet Roma returned by French government to Bucharest and Timisoara airports.
17 August: The ERRC expresses concern that French and other policies which denigrate people because of their ethnic background frequently lead to violence against them.
6 August: The ERRC submits written comments to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination for consideration in their review of France.
3 August: The ERRC refutes Sarkozy’s claim that Roma are a public security threat.
2-4 August: The ERRC conducts a mission to France in follow-up to President Sarkozy’s discriminatory plans.
29 July: The ERRC sends a letter urging French President to halt mass eviction and expulsion plans for Roma and Travellers.
28 July: French President announces targeted evictions and expulsions of Roma and Travellers.
Selected ERRC Media Coverage
- Le Monde: Affaire des Roms : la France n’est pas exonérée (10 October 2010)
- Radio Free Europe: Roma Expulsions Challenge Europe's Benevolent Self-Image (20 September 2010)
- Guardian: Prejudice and evictions widespread in Europe not just France, activists warn (17 September 2010)
- BBC: Delays bedevil EU help for Roma (16 September 2010)
- The Economist: Hard travelling (2 September 2010)
- The New York Times: E.U. Casts Legal Doubt on French Roma Expulsion (1 September 2010)
- The New York Times: Expulsion of Roma Raises Questions in France (19 August 2010)
- CNN: Roma in Europe: Persecuted and misunderstood (19 August 2010)
- BBC: France Roma expulsions (19 August 2010)
- Wall Street Journal: France Prepares to Deport Foreign Gypsies (18 August 2010)
- AOL News: Sarkozy's Roma Crackdown Likened to WWII Roundups (17 August 2010)
- Inter Press Service: Citizen Rights Don't Apply to Roma (7 August 2010)
- Deutsche Welle, Inside Europe: European governments cracking down on Roma (5 August 2010)
- Al Jazeera, Riz Khan: Expelling the Roma (3 August 2010)
- Guardian: Scapegoating will not solve 'Roma problem' (3 August 2010)
- Guardian: EU turning blind eye to discrimination against Roma, say human rights groups (30 July 2010)
- Vatican Radio: Targeting Camps of Roma to Fight Crime in France (29 July 2010)
- France 24: Outrage as Sarkozy says nomadic groups pose "problems" (22 July 2010)
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Written comments by the ERRC concerning Hungary for consideration by the European Commission on the transposition and application of the Race Directive and on the legal issues relevant to Roma integration.
