Romania Calls On EU To Strengthen Efforts In Tackling Roma Expulsion Issue

The Romanian Government discussed in its meeting Wednesday the issue of Roma expulsions and called for much more support on the matter from the EU, people close to the talks said.

They also said Romanian Interior Minister Vasile Blaga presented to Cabinet members the conclusions of the European Union's recent assessment mission on Romania's accession to the Schengen Area, starting with March 2011. Blaga assured the prime minister the accession process is not hindered by the Roma situation. Blaga said the EU mission assured Romania's accession to the Schengen Area is not conditioned by the issue of Roma integration.

Boc said Romania must voice a firm stand on the issue of Roma integration and must call for much more support from the EU on the matter, the sources added.

"Boc stressed that Romanian authorities must keep voicing the Government's efforts for the integration of Roma, and must call on the EU to strengthen its policies in order to tackle this issue, which is a European issue", the sources said.

Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi said Thursday, at the end of talks with French European Affairs Minister Pierre Lellouche and French Immigration Minister Eric Besson, that "Romanian citizens, including those of Roma ethnicity, are European citizens and, by virtue of this statute, their right to free movement cannot be restricted". Baconschi assured Boc, before the meeting, that he will voice a firm stand on the Roma issue.

Lellouche and Besson also meet Thursday with Boc, Blaga, Labor Minister Ioan Botis and state secretary Valentin Mocanu, in charge with the social inclusion of Roma. Talks target, among others, solutions to problems caused by the French repatriation policy of Roma people. Lellouche recently said France will call for commitments on police and judiciary co-operation, the fight against human trafficking and integration of Roma in Romania.

France has expelled nearly 1,000 Roma to Romania and Bulgaria from illegal camps since July. More than 8000 Roma have been deported from France since the beginning of the year, with 9875 expelled throughout last year.

The European Commission has criticized France over its Roma expulsions and has requested more information on the crackdown. An interim report by the EC says the French policy does not put enough emphasis on the individual circumstances of Roma facing expulsion.

Sarkozy's Government claims there is a link between Roma immigration camps and the rise in the country's crime rate. The French Government says its policies are strictly within the law, but its tough rhetoric has drawn criticism from the Vatican, reservations from the UN anti-racism panel and questions from Brussels.

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