As Italy is bracing to expel from the country all European Union (EU) citizens that had violated basic requirements for living in the country, the interior minister has complained that unlike in France, many Roma have Italian citizenship. "Yes, expulsions just like those for illegal immigrants, not assisted or voluntary repatriations," Roberto Maroni told the Corriere della Sera daily in an interview published Saturday. "Naturally just for those who violate rules on requirements for living in another (EU) member state: a minimum level of income, adequate housing and not being a burden on the social welfare system of the country hosting them. Many Roma are EU citizens but do not respect any of these requirements." The policy would apply to all non-Italian EU citizens who fail to meet certain criteria, not just Roma, said Maroni when asked if such a plan would be discriminatory. "If anything, the problem is something else: unlike in France, many Roma and Sinti here have Italian citizenship. They have the right to remain here. Nothing can be done." Maroni's comments were harshly criticized by the political opposition, which accused the minister’s policy of racism. "The government is making distorted, discriminatory and racist use of indisputable principles like the right to security and respect of law," Leoluca Orlando, spokesman for the Italy of Values, said in a statement. "Faced with a clearly discriminatory attitude towards Roma who are EU citizens, we're forced to talk about a false respect for legality and a degeneration of European rules."
France continued with its controversial deportation of Roma migrants on Friday afternoon, when 130 passengers boarded a charter plane, bound for Romania, and the first group of thirteen Roma landed in Sofia on a flight from Paris. 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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