France Roma expulsions a disgrace

The European Union' has strongly condemned France's expulsions of Roma (Gypsies) ‘a disgrace’ and added that the deportations probably breach European Union law. EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said she was appalled by the expulsions.

I am personally convinced that the commission will have no choice but to initiate infringement procedures against France" for discriminatory policies,

she said.

France's deportation of more than 1,000 Roma in the face of widespread international condemnation has drawn further international disapproval in recent weeks.

Officials in France have attacked and dismantled over 100 Roma camps across the country. France maintained that there was no formal policy that targetted the deportation of Roma peoples as that act would be deemed illegal under European law. France has consistently denied that the expulsions target an ethnic group, saying they are done on a case-by-case basis.

This claim was swiftly exposed as a lie by the publication of a letter from French Government officials who urged regional officials to explicitly target Roma; and ordering them to speed up a crackdown on Roma camps.

Reding harshly criticized French authorities for telling the EU commission it was not discriminating against Roma — a claim apparently contradicted by the publication of the French government letter.

It is my deepest regret that political assurances given by two French ministers is now openly contradicted

In a stinging rebuke Reding added.

The role of the commissioners as guardians of the treaties is made extremely difficult if we can no longer have confidence in the assurances given by two ministers in a formal meeting with two commissioners and around 15 senior officials on the table from both sides.

Reding was referring to France's immigration minister, Eric Besson, and its European affairs minister Pierre Lellouche. Besson denied any knowledge of the reported Interior Ministry letter.

Commentating on today’s development, race campaigner Lee Jasper said:

The French Government has adopted a formal policy of racism that unfairly and illegally targets Roma peoples. That is an act of state sponsored racism with deeply sinister echoes of the policies of Nazi Germany. France stands condemned by the majority of Europe.

France should hang its head in shame. Sarkozy has embarked on a deceitful campaign of targetting vulnerable ethnic minorities in a desperate effort to deflect attention from his own shortcomings. The EU should now prosecute France for serious human rights abuses.