The ancient hatred of Roma minorities is now being compounded in Europe by a post-austerity fear of the destitute ‘scrounger’. Romani communities, many consisting of those forced by market economics and far-right politics to flee westwards from former ‘eastern bloc’ countries, facilitated in the latter 2000s by the free movement enabled by accession to the EU, now find themselves the victims of open hostility to ‘foreigners’ and state-sponsored removal. The author examines the variations of anti-Roma prejudice and state strategies in southern, eastern and western Europe, which send the Roma from pillar to post.
For a critique of what has been achieved to date, see David Mark, ‘European Roma at Crossroads: politics and empowerment’, in Recycling Hatred: racism(s) in Europe today, ENAR Anti-Racism in Focus 1 (February2013). For an update on the European Commission’s progress report on Roma integration see Belén Sánchez-Rubio, ‘Wake-up call to EU countries on Roma integration’, Public Service Europe (4July2013), available at: http://www.icare.to/news.php?en#Wake-up call to EU countries on Roma integration
2.
In May, the secretary-general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned of the growing humanitarian crisis as Europe experiences its biggest depression since the second world war. The number of people receiving food aid from the IFRC has nearly doubled from 2.3 million in 2009 to 4.1 million today. Twelve per cent of Europe’s workforce is unemployed, while EU figures suggest that 120 million – nearly a quarter of the EU population – are at risk of poverty and social exclusion. ‘Unrest may spread across Europe, warns Red Cross Chief’ (24May2013), available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/unrest-may-spread-across-europe-warns-red-cross-chief-8631698.html
The prologue to the emergency decree made it clear it was aimed at Romanians. See ‘Italy: emergency laws, summary expulsions and a climate of hate’, IRR European Race Bulletin (No. 63, Spring2008), available at: http://www.irr.org.uk/news/europe-mobilising-against-foreign-criminals
On the nights of 13 and 14 May 2008, following rumours that a Roma teenager had attempted to kidnap a baby, mobs went on the rampage, and the Ponticelli camp on the outskirts of eastern Naples was subjected to repeated petrol bomb attacks. As the first Molotov cocktails descended on the encampment, Roma fled to another encampment, which was also attacked, leading to evacuation. See ‘The Italian General Election and its aftermath’, IRR European Race Bulletin (No. 64, Summer2008).
See FeketeLiz, ‘Security intelligence agencies and the far Right: a review of developments in Germany, Hungary and Austria’, IRR ERP Briefing Paper No. 6 (April2013).
21.
Interview and email exchange (February2013) with József Gulyás, chair of the ‘Committee to review the failure of the secret services in the case of the Roma assassinations’.
22.
‘Wake-up call for Hungary as Neo-Nazis jailed for attacks that killed six Roma – including four-year-old boy’, Independent (6August2013).
23.
See RorkeBernard, Open Democracy, op. cit.
24.
See FeketeLiz, Pedlars of Hate, op. cit.
25.
Gwendolyn Albert who works with Roma says that since about 2006 it has become standard for the media to use the term ‘inadaptable’ as a way of referring to the Roma and the Czech News Agency now puts out press releases without even bothering to put quotation marks around the term. See also ‘Czech Govt Human Rights Commissioner: the term “inadaptable” deprives Roma of their humanity’, Romea.cz (19May2013).
For the reaction of Voix des Roms, who described Valls’ comments as ‘concentrated lies … designed to smear the entire community’, see ‘French minister accused of racism following Roma comment ’, EuroActiv (18March2013), available at: http://www.euractiv.com/justice/french-minister-accused-racism-f-news-518579
The Conservative interior minister Hans-Peter Friedrich told other EU state interior ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg that he wanted ‘to throw out without much of a to-do; those illegal immigrants who appear to be in Germany just for the social system and come specifically from Romania and Bulgaria’. This was represented in the media under the headline ‘Germany to deport poverty immigrants’. See Spiegel Online (7June2013), op. cit.
36.
ArendtHannah, The Origins of Totalitarianism (New York, Schocken Books, 2004[1951]), p. 370.
37.
In 2011, the UNHCR conducted a project mapping statelessness in Greece, Albania and Italy which drew attention to the specific problems associated with the Roma population of Greek origin. Roma children born outside hospital are often not registered on the municipal roll (or, if registered, incorrectly). The Roma community of Albanian origin often live in conditions of illegality. Many children are either registered under a false name, or not at all. Email correspondence with Xenia Passa, Protection Associate, UNHCR Athens, 10July2013.
Northern League MEP Mario Borghezio described Italy’s current government as a ‘bonga bonga government’ at the same time as making these comments about Kyenge. He was subsequently expelled from the Europe of Freedom and Democracy Group of the European Parliament.
