UN Worried by France's Forced Roma Camp Closures

The UN has expressed its concern with the recent forced closures of Roma camps in France.

French authorities have already been criticized this summer for sanctioning the dismantling of Roma camps and repatriating hundreds of their residents to Bulgaria and Romania.

"I am... worried by the recent forced closure of Roma camps in France, which have affected hundreds of people, making them even more vulnerable and exposed to a whole range of human rights concerns," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay declared on Monday.

"I acknowledge that a number of steps have been taken by the government, but further efforts must be made to address this situation within the context of the national strategy for Roma integration and fully in line with international human rights," she added.

There are an estimated 15 000 Roma living in temporary camps in and around French cities.

The UN's top human rights official laid out the world's most significant human rights issues Monday. Pillay spoke of human rights problems in Syria, Bahrain, France and Greece, among others.