EU scolds France over treatment of Roma
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 25 September 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, EU scolds France over treatment of Roma, 25 September 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/526103d32f2.html [accessed 3 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 25, 2013
The European Commission has issued a rare public rebuke of France after the French interior minister said that Romany migrants, mostly from Romania and Bulgaria, should be kicked out of the country.
Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly on September 25 warned that free circulation and the right to reside anywhere in the EU are fundamental rights of all its citizens.
The commission, however, stopped short of threatening Paris with sanctions.
Interior Minister Manuel Valls said in an interview this week that most of the Roma should be "delivered back to the borders," describing their way of life as "extremely different from ours," and claiming they could never integrate into French society.
His remarks triggered an outcry among human rights groups, and were criticized by colleagues.
Valls said on September 25 there was nothing to "correct" in his remarks.
Based on reporting by AFP and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
