Romania Admits ‘Partial Failure’ For Roma Situation In Italy

Basescu, who went in a one-day working visit to Italy Thursday at the invitation of Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, said officials from the two countries should work together to solve the situation of Romanians of Roma origin who live in Italy.

“Our proposition to the Italian government, which the Italian authorities agreed to, is that we work for the integration of Roma people in the two societies, in Romania and Italy,” Basescu said.

“They (Roma people – e.n.) are Romanian citizens and we wish to find solutions together with the Italian government to free them from poverty and see them integrated in society,” Basescu added.

The head of state said Romania wants to protect its citizens no matter where they live, without asking from another country to protect Romanian felons.

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said in his turn that the Italian authorities treat all European citizens equally and that the campaign to fingerprint Roma and their children is in fact a program meant to protect children from their parents who want to send them to steal instead of studying.

He said fingerprinting citizens is a common practice in many EU countries.