France

Scores of Roma left homeless in forced eviction near Paris

October 15, 2012 Around 150 Roma – including some 60 children – have been left homeless outside Paris after being forcibly evicted and having their homes bulldozed on Monday morning, Amnesty International said. The forced eviction in Noisy-le-Grand, in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis east of the capital, is the latest in a string of similar […]

The Roma in France: “Is Hollande going to expel us all?”

(Português) October 1st, 2012 Like their classmates, Roma children in one Paris suburb are getting to grips with a new school year – but French ministers continue to play politics with their future. The Roma families who live in the Voltaire settlement in Saint-Denis, near Paris, count themselves lucky. They live on a piece of […]

Vigilantes burn Roma camp in Marseille, France

September 28, 2012 A group of vigilantes have evicted a group of Roma (Gypsies) from a Marseille housing estate and burnt down their camp, French media report. There were no reports of violence when the 35 Roma people were forced out of the city’s Creneaux estate. Furniture and other items were set on fire at the […]

New expulsions, persecution of Roma have some warning ‘Hitler was not alone’

August 31st, 2012 “Remember that Hilter was never alone,” warns one European journalist and blogger in the wake of recent violence throughout Europe, racist actions by right wing groups, and now, just this week – more forcible expulsions of the group known as “Roma” or gypsies fromFrance. Meanwhile today, human rights groups, the European Union and several […]

France urged to stop discrimination against Roma

The French government has been urged by United Nations independent experts to stop discrimination against the Roma people. The Special Rapporteurs on minority issues, migrants, housing and racism say that evictions of the Roma continue and threaten to place families in highly vulnerable situations.

Roma evictions/expulsions: “France must comply with international non-discrimination standards”

United Nations human rights experts urged the French Government to ensure that its policies and practices regarding the dismantling of Roma settlements and the expulsion of migrant Roma conform in all respects to European and international human rights law relating to non-discrimination. “Evictions continue and threaten to place families in highly vulnerable situations,” stressed the Special Rapporteurs on minority issues, migrants, housing and racism.

French police clear Roma camp in Evry near Paris

August 27, 2012 French police on Monday dismantled a Roma camp near Paris, where 70 people, including 19 children, were living. The action comes just days after the government promised a fresh approach in its controversial handling of the ethnic minority migrants. Police in Evry, on the outskirts of Paris, moved in at dawn to […]

France must commit to ending forced evictions of Roma

August 21st, 2012 French cabinet members must take action to halt forced evictions of Roma communities and set a housing policy that respects and protects their rights, Amnesty International said ahead of a high-level ministerial meeting. The 22 August meeting called by Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault is the first of its kind since a new […]

Roma trapped in misery as France demolishes camps

August 15, 2012 The camps weren’t much to begin with: they had no electricity or running water. Grocery carts served as makeshift grills. Rats ran rampant and fleas gnawed on young and old alike. But they were home – and they were better than the new reality for thousands of Gypsies who have been forced […]

EU keeps close eye on French gypsy expulsion

August 11, 2012 EU and human rights groups say they are monitoring closely how France dismantles mobile camps across the country and removes hundreds of gypsies, to ensure Paris’s actions are consistent with the Union’s rules on the free movement of people. Throughout the week police have broken up camps around the country, including areas […]