EU presses France on Roma deportations
The European Commission has criticised France over its expulsions of Roma (Gypsies) and has requested more information about the crackdown.
An interim report by the commission – the EU’s executive arm – says the French policy does not put enough emphasis on the individual circumstances of Roma facing expulsion.
France has expelled nearly 1,000 Roma to Romania and Bulgaria from illegal camps since July.
The crackdown is highly controversial.
Freedom of movement and non-discrimination are enshrined in EU rules, so France’s interpretation of EU law is under scrutiny.
The BBC’s Christian Fraser in Paris says that under EU rules, the state can expel people who have been in the country for at least three months without a job or are a social burden.
But they can be expelled within three months of their arrival if they are deemed to be a threat to public security
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