France must protect the rights of Roma and turn their inclusion into reality

The European Roma Information Office (ERIO) strongly condemns the latest France’s forced evictions of Roma across the country. These acts reveal the continuous human rights violations Roma face in France. Similar acts were carried out in 2010 by former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

ERIO urges the French government to comply with international human rights law when evictions occur and ensure alternative decent housing. We welcome the French government plan to ease work restrictions for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens. This plan should be complemented with strong measures to tackle the discrimination Roma face in employment and housing.

“It is very worrying to see that these forced evictions and expulsions are happening again in France. These acts fuel anti-Gypsyism in France and mirror the rising trends in anti-Roma sentiment, racism, xenophobia and far-right extremism across Europe”, said Ivan Ivanov, ERIO’s Executive Director.

These actions come at a time when member states have to implement their National Roma Integration Strategies. The aim of such strategies is to improve the socio-economic situation of Roma in Europe. Given the current incidents, how can the French government guarantee the inclusion of Roma communities in France?

We call on French authorities to make real commitments in improving the lives of Roma in France and to comply with EU rules. The European Commission should take the necessary measures and a strong position against discriminatory acts.

For more information, please contact: Tel: +32 273 33 462

E-mail: office@erionet.eu