Bulgaria, Romania join French efforts against Roma offenders
Bulgaria and Romania joined efforts with France on Thursday to find a solution to illegal Roma migration, following calls from Paris to close down migrant camps and expel offenders, which triggered protests by Roma rights activists.
"Bulgaria and Romania are undertaking joint efforts to bring back Romas who have violated law and order in France," Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov told journalists.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy had said earlier that members of the itinerant minorities, mostly from Romania and Bulgaria, posed security problems by engaging in crimes such as smuggling, people trafficking, prostitution and theft.
Sofia was already exchanging information with Paris to determine the number and identity of the arrested Roma offenders to be deported, Tsvetanov added.
On Wednesday, before France’s decision to expel Roma and tear down illegal camps, Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said European countries "have a mutual obligation concerning the Roma issues."
Foreign Affairs minister Teodor Baconschi also stressed that the nine million Roma living in the European Union were "European citizens" and their freedom of movement could not be impeded.
"The problem with the security of citizens and respect for the law comes up often and has to be addressed… on the basis of real cooperation between the states," Romania’s Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu told Mediafax news agency.
"Cooperation does not mean using bulldozers to destroy the camps and publicly blame Romania," he said, but added that Bucarest was open to working with French experts on common projects to integrate the migrants.
OTHER ARTICLES
Sarkozy Speech Enrages Roma Leaders Romanian organisations condemn France’s anti-Roma move ERTF Reaction on recent events in France Gypsies accuse Nicolas Sarkozy of racism after expulsion order France to shut illegal Roma camps and deport migrants Anger As Sarkozy Wages War On French Gypsies
