Anger In France Over Roma Expulsions

Sept. 01, 2010, 11:00 Hrs (Vaiju Naravane / The Hindu):

For the past several weeks French President Nicolas Sarkozy had gone on a relentless “security” drive, threatening to revoke the nationality of naturalised foreign citizens who fall foul of the law and expelling thousands of Roma gypsies on the grounds that they are in France illegally and that they engage in crime and “aggravated begging”.

This wide-brush tarring of a minority which already faces large-scale discrimination in East European countries like Romania, Bulgaria or Hungary which are home to several Roma communities has prompted concern from the United Nations, the Vatican and the European Union.

Now, senior Ministers within Mr. Sarkozy's Cabinet, including the Prime Minister Francois Fillon, a devout Catholic, have begun raising their voices against what many see as an inhuman and ruthless crackdown.

Four Cabinet Ministers, including Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Defence Minister Herve Morin, have voiced concern about the government's accelerated expulsions of Roma. The Prime Minister admitted to a “malaise” in Mr. Sarkozy's conservative camp over the measures. Mr. Kouchner said he had considered resigning over the Roma expulsions. “I'm not happy about what happened, but resigning would amount to desertion and will not solve the problems faced by Roma,” he said. Mr. Morin has hinted he could leave the government to focus on a possible presidential bid for his small centre-right party — a key ally of Mr. Sarkozy's ruling UMP.

Party spokespersons said Ministers who disagreed had no place in the Cabinet.

French bishops have waded into the controversy describing the measures as “inhuman, short-sighted and un-Christian. Interior minister Brice Hortefeux said the “legitimate and necessary” dismantling of Roma camps and expulsions of people would continue. “We can't close our eyes to reality,” he said, telling reporters that crime rates amongst the Roma had shown a very sharp increase. The government was not stigmatising a particular section of the population, he said.

Mr. Sarkozy's ratings have plummeted in recent months with scandal after scandal shaking the public's confidence in his ability to govern and to reform France in the interest of all citizens, especially the poor and the powerless. Sensing that centrist support might be deserting him, Mr. Sarkozy has tried to create a new image for himself as being tough on crime, immigration and radical Islam in order to woo extreme right voters. He has linked Roma to high crime rates, calling their camps sources of prostitution and child exploitation.