Roma community sealed off with a 1.8m wall. Mayor reelected with 86% in favor after the decision
■ Building a wall around a Roma neighborhood last June earned the local government accusations of racism
■ Government insist move was 'a step forward towards their civilisation and emancipation'
■ An estimated 10-12 million Roma live throughout Europe, making them one of the EU's biggest ethnic minorities
■ A European Commission study showed one in four EU citizens would be uncomfortable with a Roma neighbor
■ Discontent among Roma community - many of them have now set their sights on the UK next January
■ Hundreds of thousands are expected to arrive under the European Union’s 'freedom of movement' rules
The grim dwellings are mere shacks – damp and freezing cold in the bitter Romanian winter. Close up, there is shocking evidence of raw sewage in the slum where 500 families live. Around the site is a 6ft wall built by the local mayor which has effectively made the slum into a ghetto. When this is your home, it is little wonder you may want to escape to a new life in a foreign country. If that is the dream for these impoverished gypsy families – relocated to dilapidated buildings near an abandoned copper factory in northern Romania – it is surely one shared by thousands of Romanians who say they would like to move to Britain in January when they gain full rights to live, work and claim benefits under EU ‘freedom of movement’ rules.
Michaela Stanková: A wall to keep out Roma [Yes, Slovakia too...] Articles About the Roma People on AWIP