According to the most reliable assessments, in OSCE’s countries currently live 12-15 million Roma, out of whom approx. 12 million live in Central and Eastern Europe.

Although they don’t have “homeland” in a region, Roma had long and unique history as an integral population of almost every society in this region, especially in South-eastern and Central Europe.

According to available lingual, anthropologic and historical evidences, Roma are descendants of nations that arrived from the Indian sub-continent through the century-long process that lead them to the Byzantine approx. thousand year ago, and to the Balkans at least at the beginning of 14th century.

By later migrations, Roma expanded to remaining part of what is today known as Europe, to Euro-Asian sub-continent and North America.
Twenty years after the fall of Iron curtain, Europe is under the risk to be divided with new walls. Roma are in every view amongst persons who are left out of this new security, safety and welfare of Europe.

In many countries, Roma are proclaimed as illegal citizens on its own property, expelled out of the municipality borders and left out of community that cares for the common good.

Roma have long migrant’s history, and as such, they are exposed to repression for centuries. European countries introduced laws against the nomads nations (Nomads, Travellers) since the mid-15th century. Without registered identity, many Roma are totally rejected from society as citizens on whose territory they live. While being constantly relocated and re-populated, they are multi-century migrants even within the borders of one of countries whose they are citizens.

Besides accusations, disappointments and misunderstandings in relations towards the majority population, today we still face with deep discrimination towards Roma that is not rooted only in ethnic or cultural racism or anti-tziganism.

Different forms of fatal reactions of ethnic and class racism are expressed towards Roma across the Europe. Berlusconi’s government announced in Italy in May 2008 in Naples emergency state related to the nomad’s settlements and communities on the territory of couple of regions, so that it could legitimize by that fingerprinting of Roma population.

This law strongly reminds to anti-Roma laws from the Middle Ages, as well to the darkest period of European history – 20th century. This decree, while creating special provisions based on the ethnic origin, violates fundamental rights from the Italian Constitution related to the equality of individuals. Fingerprinting of Roma under the Decree is hard violation of Article 14 of European Convention on Human Rights.

Situation is problematic with migrants in Italy, and catastrophic activities that Fascistic Right-wing is undertaking towards Roma achieve its peak in burning of entire settlements, destroying of property and violent ejections of Roma out of areas of some towns in Italy. Most drastic such examples happened in Livorno, Rome, Naples and Milano since 2006 until now.

To better understand recent legal changes in Italy, some background information are usable. Italian immigration law (Act 286/1998) is based on annual quotas for the people who want to come to work in Italy. These quotas were always consistently far less than required. People who weren’t under the quota remained illegal, because system is very rigorous.

Moreover, for a stranger who is legal it is very easy to become illegal: for example, if he is without job when it is necessary to renew his permit, to him will be granted 6 months to find a job, or else he will lose a permit and he can be expelled. In practice, it is very difficult to change someone’s status from illegal to legal; in that way, many migrants remain without documents, while accepting poor working and living conditions.

In Finland was demolished settlement that was built by Roma, who migrated from Romania to Helsinki to find a better existence. Rough EU laws aren’t allowing Roma to settle themselves, to work on alternative way or to “don’t fit in” into the EU reality.

Most threatening pictures are coming from the Slovakia and Czech Republic, where since the end of 2008 is happening a true chase on Roma. Shooting and killing of Roma families from side of still unidentified Nazi guards is example of the worst racial hunt on people in the mid of Europe.

Currently in France is happening very serious attack against fundamental elements of the human rights culture, especially in relation with the legal position of migrants, and in particular Roma. In the case of Sarkozy, he tried to show himself as a politician who took seriously worries of French citizens. In that way, he wanted to turn attention from the numerous scandals of his ministers who violated the reputation of his government.

Reputation of Sarkozy as the president was on very low level. French were unsatisfied with his policy. In obvious inability to solve the problems in society with political means, government in Paris reached in 2010 for symbolic measures that should show its dedicated acting.

”Out with criminal, beggarly and non-working elements,” – that’s the essence of decision about deportation of Roma to Bulgaria and Romania. Policy that spectated with target in 2010 and that is even today spectating one specific national group in such harsh manner reminds fatally to the terrors of racism and fascism. Government in Paris decided both in 2010 and now to remove the “camps” in which lived Roma in France.

Roma issue can’t be solved with giving of allowance of 300 EUR. Roma who are returned to Romania and Bulgaria by France will after some period of time again appear in Paris and other French towns. And that’s their right because EU guarantees to its citizens freedom of movement.

Announcement of deportation of Roma from France kept us in assurance that it is only about one more in a row of chauvinist’s provocations of some of right-wing’s medias. Now when the Government of France undertook concrete activities and performed unimaginable – deported citizens who are having citizenship of other EU member, only because of their ethnic origin, caused amazement of all those who know what are human rights, what is free flow of people and goods. That especially worries and scares because it is about citizens of EU members, in this case Bulgaria and Romania.

We are, of course, very worried for any form of discrimination. Our idea was since ever to promote the full integration of Roma population in Europe. We remind that Roma are, like the other Europeans, completely citizens of Europe, and that they have right to move anywhere in Europe. They can study and work just like anyone else. Those are their rights –rights that all EU members have to respect.

Unexpectedly clear and sharp first reaction of UN and Brussels indicate to almost certain new, concrete steps of Commission and Council, which should remind France, but also other European members that are preparing for similar steps, that human rights are universal and that right to movement and life cannot be guaranteed for ones, and to others, by the will of president, suddenly deducted.

EU Commissioner for Justice Viviane Reding assessed that France “need to respect provisions about freedom of movement and freedom of choice of place of residence” of European citizens. These measures aren’t at all jeopardizing freedom of movement of EU citizens – as it is defined by agreements.

Due to existence of legal grounds for indictment against Nicolas Sarkozy, as a president of association of citizens “Journalism-informative agency of Roma” I suggest to review all necessary archive documentation about crimes against Roma in France and initiate starting of the legal procedure against Nicolas Sarkozy in front of the International Criminal Court in Hague. There is no any justification for committed crimes against humanity.

Bajram HALITI, lawyer