Even as Roma speakers addressed an audience at the United Against Fascism
conference in London yesterday [14 June] on the rising frequency of attacks by neo-Nazi groups across Europe, members of the English Defence League were
gathering in a menacing crowd outside TUC Congress Hall.
European Roma Network delegate Michael Daduc and Roma London chair Toma
Mladenov were warned by UAF stewards to remain in the hall while police faced
off the EDL outside in Great Russell Street. Eventually both were able to leave
without incident.
Mladenov told the conference that under extreme pressure by UK authorities
many Bulgarian Roma had in recent months quit living in London and returned to
Sofia. He said families had received Home Office letters which when he consulted
lawyers were found to have little or no basis in law.
"The Home Office has frightened a lot of people into leaving," said Mladenov.
"I’m among the few to stay on despite the very hostile atmosphere created by the
media and the Coalition Government against migrants and especially Roma."
Michael Daduc, secretary of ERN, said there were now 200,000 newly arrived
Roma in Britain. All were facing problems around education, housing and jobs. As to the rest of Europe, the Roma Decade much trumpeted by the EU had brought
almost no improvements.
In the case of the UK the lack of a real National Strategy left Roma at the
mercy of exploiting landlords and employers, and unwilling local authorities.
They had no one in the Coalition Government to whom they could turn. He felt that with the
advance of UKIP, the government needed to make moves to stem racism, not
encourage it.
However, ERN now had an invitation to meet with officials at the Department
of Communities and Local Government and would be setting out a number of
recommendations.
"We are putting together a united delegation for this meeting," said Daduc. "It
will be the first of its kind to include Roma of both the new and old
communities, and Travellers."
Ulrike Schmidt, of Amnesty International, outlined a number of recent neo-fascist
attacks in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. In Greece, she said,
members of Golden Dawn, a fascist party still growing in strength, had attacked a Romani woman and her
children in the centre of Athens. Three men had been charged and would appear in
court in November.
