The Council of Europe has expressed grave concerns at France's controversial deportation of Roma migrants. “Recent developments in several European countries, most recently evictions of Roma camps in France and expulsions of Roma from France and Germany, are certainly not the right measures to improve the situation of this vulnerable minority. On the contrary, they are likely to lead to an increase in racist and xenophobic feelings in Europe,” Mevlüt Çavuþoðlu, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), declared on Friday. Following a debate in June, PACE said it was shocked by recent outrages against this minority in Europe. “Taking advantage of the financial crisis, some governments and groups capitalise on fears deriving from the equation made between Roma and criminals, choosing a scapegoat that presents an easy target, as Roma are among the most vulnerable groups of all. The European Court of Human Rights has regularly condemned states in which Roma have suffered from abuse or discrimination,” the President said, recalling also that Protocol No. 4 to the European Convention on Human Rights prohibited the collective expulsion of aliens.
Stressing that the process of Roma integration has not reached its objectives over the last 20 years, the PACE President urged member states to face up to their responsibilities and to tackle the issue of the situation of Roma seriously and sustainably. He re-iterated PACE’s call for determined measures with regard to education, employment, housing, health care and political participation. The PACE President welcomed the adoption by many member states of national strategies for improving the situation and the integration of Roma. “This is positive but not sufficient. Such action plans need adequate and long-term funding, efficient co-ordination and have also to be implemented at local and regional levels.” The situation of Roma in Europe will also be one of the issues to be discussed during the PACE President’s official visit to Romania from 29 August to 1 September. France continued with its controversial deportation of Roma migrants on Friday afternoon, when 130 passengers boarded a charter plane, bound for Romania. A day earlier French authorities deported 86 Roma from illegal squatting camps to Romania in the largest expulsion seen in France since President Nicolas Sarkozy called for tougher action against Roma living in the country illegally. A total of 850 Roma persons will have to leave France by the end of August.
The next deportation is expected for next Thursday, when 160 persons will be deported. Meanwhile, the French government made it clear it is reluctant to style its actions as "deportation", saying that Roma people are leaving the country by mutual agreement and for a compensation (EUR 300 per adult, EUR 100 per child), and also retain the right to return whenever they might wish. Roma from Romania and Bulgaria are allowed free passage into France if they are European Union citizens. After that, however, they must find work, start studies, or find some other way of becoming established in France or risk deportation. The French government said those Roma being deported this week have overstayed the three-month limit.
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