2nd Group of French-deported Roma Lands in Bulgaria

Most of the Roma in France came from Bulgaria and Romania after the two countries joined the EU in 2007 and are seen by the majority of the French as a threat to safety and security. Photo by BGNES

The second group of Bulgarian Roma deported from France is arriving in Sofia Wednesday afternoon.

Upon landing the Roma will be transferred on another flight to the Black Sea capital Varna because they are said to be from this region.

The first group was sent to Bulgaria on Friday, but the Foreign Ministry reported they left on their own will against EUR 300 per adult and EUR 100 per child as assistance from the French government. There were several reports in local media claiming this first group of 13 migrants consisted of ethnic Turks, not Roma.

The Foreign Ministry informs a total of 41 Bulgarian Roma will be deported.

At the end of July, French Foreign Minister, Brice Hortefeux, vowed to dismantle half of the illegal Roma camps in the country in three months and to sent all who have violated the law in any way back to Bulgaria and Romania.

The measures of the French authorities triggered strong and controversial reactions. They were backed by Italy’s Interior Minister, Roberto Maroni while many in Western Europe voiced stark criticism towards Romania for failing to integrate the Roma, to the extend the European Commission proposed to halt some of the weakest projects.

EC and the Council of Europe appealed to France to observe human rights and the rights of all EU citizens.

Meanwhile, EUobserver’s online edition published an article informing Paris has invited a handful of member states to the September 6 'immigration' summit, which will discuss immigration issues.

The list includes interior ministers from Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Greece, and even Canada, but neither Romania nor Bulgaria have been invited.

On Monday, the EC rejected the French idea that failure to integrate the Roma minority should stop Romania and Bulgaria from joining the bloc's border-free area known as Schengen.

Romania announced that a total of about 200 Roma have been sent back. The French Minister of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Mutually-Supportive Development, Eric Besson, said 850 will be deported by the end of the operation.

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