Amnesty International condemns Roma evictions in France
- 12 years ago
Police officers arrive at a Roma camp in France.
They're here to evict the migrants from their makeshift homes-- part of government action that has expelled thousands from settlements like this one in recent years.
Human rights group Amnesty International condemned the policy in a report published on Thursday.
Amnesty said the evictions were frequently carried out without enough notice being given to inhabitants, without them having adequate knowledge of their legal rights, and without alternative places to go.
The criticism comes despite pledges made by French President Francois Hollande during his election campaign to put a halt to the evictions unless adequate provisions had been made to rehouse Roma communities.
Amnesty director John Dalhuisen said that although the tone of the debate has changed since the elections, there remains an enormous amount of work ahead.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA PROGRAMME JOHN DALHUISEN SAYING:
"What we've seen from the new government is that they're sincere in their modest ambition. This ambition, however, will fall very significantly short of solving this problem in the short term and in the long term."
Its estimated the're 15-20,000 Roma in France, most coming from Romania and Bulgaria, who often live in illegal camps on the edge of large cities.
They're here to evict the migrants from their makeshift homes-- part of government action that has expelled thousands from settlements like this one in recent years.
Human rights group Amnesty International condemned the policy in a report published on Thursday.
Amnesty said the evictions were frequently carried out without enough notice being given to inhabitants, without them having adequate knowledge of their legal rights, and without alternative places to go.
The criticism comes despite pledges made by French President Francois Hollande during his election campaign to put a halt to the evictions unless adequate provisions had been made to rehouse Roma communities.
Amnesty director John Dalhuisen said that although the tone of the debate has changed since the elections, there remains an enormous amount of work ahead.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA PROGRAMME JOHN DALHUISEN SAYING:
"What we've seen from the new government is that they're sincere in their modest ambition. This ambition, however, will fall very significantly short of solving this problem in the short term and in the long term."
Its estimated the're 15-20,000 Roma in France, most coming from Romania and Bulgaria, who often live in illegal camps on the edge of large cities.