MINELRES: Romania: Ethnic Diversity Briefs, No.25

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Mediafax <divers@mediafax.ro>


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No. 25 / September 30, 2002

DIVERS
- reporting ethnic diversity -

SUMMARY
1. REINTEGRATION MEASURES FOR ILLEGALLY MIGRATED ROMA PEOPLE
2. PARTHENRSHIP BETWEEN ROMA REPRESENTATIVES-ROMANIAN GENDARMERIE
3. LOW INTEREST IN MAGYAR IDs
4. BUCHAREST PROTESTS AGAINST ETHNIC ROMANIANS DISCRIMINATION IN
BULGARIA
5. DAYS OF POLISH CULTURE IN ROMANIA

FEATURE
6. GYPSY ASYLUM-SEEKERS FLOOD INTO SWITZERLAND FROM ROMANIA
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REINTEGRATION MEASURES FOR ILLEGALLY MIGRATED ROMA PEOPLE
BUCHAREST - The Romanian Government last week announced the first
measures to help Romanian citizens of Roma ethnicity who illegally
migrated or been expelled from different European countries. The
reintegrated persons will benefit from the State a ROL 800,000 grant
monthly - adults and ROL 300,000 grant monthly - the underage, for six
months time; throughout this period they will be accommodated in
territorial resource centers of social reintegration (unless they own
property or rent house), will do professional training courses, will
have support to be work-integrated, also their children will be
integrated into the national education system. Government initiated the
measures as a result of the effects triggered by illegal migrated Roma
ethnics' deeds in West, mainly in France and Switzerland. (DIVERS)

PARTHENRSHIP BETWEEN ROMA REPRESENTATIVES-ROMANIAN GENDARMERIE
BUCHAREST - The commander of Romanian Gendarmerie and the president of
Social-Democrat Roma Party on Monday, September 23, signed a new
partnership protocol, the agreement implying new ways for the
accommodation and prevention of interethnic and community conflicts.
Romanian Gendarmerie and Roma representatives signed the first protocol
in March 2000, while its renewal was reasoned by the necessity to align
the partnership's document with the Strategy of the Romanian Government
as regards the improvement of Roma people's condition, as well as the
relations trend between the singing parties. (DIVERS)

LOW INTEREST IN MAGYAR IDs
BUCHAREST - About 20 per cent of Hungarian ethnics living in Romania,
289,312 persons respectively have asked for Magyar ID, announced
Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania (UDMR) executive chairman,
Takacs Csaba. Out of all requesters, about 23 per cent are underage. The
student IDs have been claimed by 20,863 persons. As well, according to
the Hungarian Status Law, finance support has been asked by 19,000
families with children enrolled in Magyar school. Therefore, UDMR
performed capitation for such a family with two children, and the amount
would reach ROL 4,5mln. (DIVERS)

BUCHAREST PROTESTS AGAINST ETHNIC ROMANIANS DISCRIMINATION IN BULGARIA
BUCHAREST - The Romanian Public Information Ministry last week protested
against the "persecution of members of the Romanian-Vlach" minority in
neighboring Bulgaria, after a priest in a village near Vidin was
disciplined by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church for using Romanian during a
service. According to Romanian Ministry, the measure is "an infringement
of the Convention of the Defense of Minority Rights that was ratified by
the Bulgarian parliament in 1994. Bucharest also said that the
"Romanian-Vlach minority" is Bulgaria's second largest, but is not
recognized by the authorities, has not even figured in the last census,
and is not represented in parliament. The Bulgarian minority in Romania,
the ministry said, is represented in the legislature, has four schools
teaching in Bulgarian, and Bulgarian is taught at Bucharest University.
In contrast, in none of the 32 localities with a "Romanian-Vlach
minority" in Bulgaria are there any Romanian-language schools. The
Romanian government finally reminded to Sofia that current international
treaties on minority rights stipulate reciprocity. (DIVERS)

DAYS OF POLISH CULTURE IN ROMANIA
SUCEAVA - Romanian, Ukrainian and Polish authorities on Friday,
September 20, attended the opening of the fourth edition of "Days of
Polish Culture" festivity. The Polish Con. in Bucharest, Boris Sekala,
appreciated the event "reflects extremely high-leveled Polish-Romanian
relations". "The fact that the Polish minority from Bucovina (northern
Romania) has the possibility to organize these manifestations and can
organize other activities, it is only due to Romanian authorities and,
chiefly, to Suceava authorities that proved much opening and amiability
while working with the Polish party", said Sekala. (DIVERS)


FEATURE

GYPSY ASYLUM-SEEKERS FLOOD INTO SWITZERLAND FROM ROMANIA
GENEVA - Some 150 Romanian asylum-seekers were found wandering in
western Switzerland last week, bringing to more than 400 the number who
have arrived in the country in the past two weeks, Associated Press
reports.
The group of Gypsies, which included 69 children was discovered early
morning close to the railway station in Vallorbe, several kilometers
(miles) from the French border. Authorities said they believed the group
had reached Switzerland by crossing fields. The group has been
temporarily lodged in a nearby refugee reception center.
Earlier groups of asylum-seekers said they had come to Switzerland in
trucks or buses from France or Austria and had paid up to US$500 each
for the journey.
Swiss authorities have mobilized around 30 translators from around the
country to take the details of the Romanians' asylum demands. A decision
is expected next week on the first group of Gypsies, or Roma, who
arrived in Switzerland on September 13, said Dominique Boillat,
spokesman for the Federal Refugee Office. It is unlikely that any will
qualify for asylum as Romania is considered to be a safe country.
Romanian citizens do not need visas to enter France as tourists, but
they do need visas for Switzerland. In a statement, Romania's Foreign
Minister, Mircea Geoana, said he is closely following the situation. The
Foreign Ministry will send experts to the Swiss capital, Bern to find
"rapid ways to resolve the crisis by repatriating Romanian citizens,"
the statement said. Jean-Philippe Chauzy, spokesman for the
International Organization for Migration, said the influx may be linked
to a visit to Romania at the end of August by French Interior Minister
Nicolas Sarkozy. French police in recent months have arrested Romanian
citizens on suspicions they sent children and disabled people to France
to beg, according to French media reports. Sarkozy told reporters that
he and Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase had agreed "that Romanian
delinquents in France will be arrested and will have their goods (in
Romania) confiscated." Romania hopes to join the European Union in 2007
and has been told to tighten border controls. The government has been
criticized because groups of Gypsies have traveled to France for
begging. Chauzy said there was a similar influx of Romanian Gypsies
seeking asylum in Finland several years ago. The Finnish authorities
stemmed the flow by announcing that appeals by people who had their
requests for asylum refused would be held in Romania. The Gypsy
community is very well-informed about asylum policies in European
countries, Chauzy said. "Some countries are probably targeted at some
time and others not," he said. The Roma are one of Europe's most
impoverished minorities. In Romania and elsewhere, they are often
unemployed because of prejudice and discrimination, human rights groups
say. Romania, with a population of nearly 24 million people, officially
is home to 540,000 Roma. But that is commonly considered underreported
with the true figure estimated at more than 1 million.

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