Displaced Roma arrive in Tallinn

A group of between 40 and 50 ethnic Roma who were controversially paid by Finnish authorities to leave Helsinki last week, arrived in the Estonian capital Tallinn on the 28th November, err.ee news has reported.

The group were paid 300 euros each and given a ferry ticket to return to their native Romania and Bulgaria, in exchange for their agreement to leave Finland. The authorities took this step after a fire broke out in the makeshift camp in which the Roma were residing.

Jarmo Räihä of the city’s Social Services Department said the departure was voluntary and part of an agreement reached with the Roma. However, rights based organization Vapaa Liikkuvuus (Free Movement) criticized the move saying that it was a forced departure and that authorities should have provided housing for the Roma instead.

According to err.ee, there is no information as to whether the group has continued to move south. By law, they have the right to stay in Estonia for 90 days before having to register their residence in the country.