Yet again we have politicians revealing their prejudice against the Roma immigrants. With echoes of Enoch Powell’s rivers of blood speech, David Blunkett, ex- home secretary for New Labour, has chosen to declare that the arrival of Roma migrants could spark off race riots, based upon the experience of “anti-social” behaviour in his constituency. Roma migrants from Slovakia must “change their culture” and send their children to school, stop dumping rubbish and loitering in the streets in order to soothe tensions, Blunkett said. Otherwise, the community could “explode” in the same way northern towns were rocked by disorder between Asian and white neighbourhoods in the summer of 2001, Blunkett added. Why do we did not have this former minister for law and order protecting the legal rights of vulnerable fellow European citizens. Why is he not calling for their defence from attack? Obviously, in his mind they do not warrant justice.
Blunkett was very quickly supported in his views by Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-EU Ukip, which has a policy of opposing the lifting of work restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians.
Dezideriu Gergely, executive director of the European Roma Rights Commission, condemned Blunkett's intervention as "extremely dangerous" and warned his comments could themselves trigger unrest by fuelling "more hatred".He explained that "It is extremely dangerous in a way because you can have ... far-right groups all over Europe using this type of rhetoric. What is concerning is that while in the past it is only far-right movements using this type of rhetoric it is now more and more mainstream. Politicians and public figures are using this type of discourse" He added: "If Roma are only blamed and pointed out without finding proper solutions for the situation it doesn't help at all. It only fuels more hatred against Roma." Gergely said Blunkett's intervention was in line with rhetoric on the rise throughout Europe based on "misconceptions, misperceptions or stereotyping" of Roma communities, especially by linking them to criminality.
A spokesman for the Roma Support Group expressed disappointment that Blunkett had added to the "fanfare" of fears about Roma migration and pointed out that his Sheffield constituency has benefited from migration funding in the past.
Miroslav Sandor came to the UK from Bystrany, in central-eastern Slovakia, in 2004. He is now a community worker in Sheffield, helping new arrivals to settle in. "We came here for a better life, having a job, having education for my children," he says. "I want to see a future.”
Gulnaz Hussain has already detected an increase in tensions in Page Hall, which she says prompted her organisation to publish a "myth-busting" document about the Roma community. "A lot of work is going on to see how we can integrate them," she said. "We as a migrant (Pakistani) community faced a lot of the same kind of issues they now face."
There are an estimated 197,705 Roma in the UK, or whom 183,297 are in England, 3,030 in Scotland, 878 in Wales and 500 in Northern Ireland.
Blunkett was very quickly supported in his views by Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-EU Ukip, which has a policy of opposing the lifting of work restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians.
Dezideriu Gergely, executive director of the European Roma Rights Commission, condemned Blunkett's intervention as "extremely dangerous" and warned his comments could themselves trigger unrest by fuelling "more hatred".He explained that "It is extremely dangerous in a way because you can have ... far-right groups all over Europe using this type of rhetoric. What is concerning is that while in the past it is only far-right movements using this type of rhetoric it is now more and more mainstream. Politicians and public figures are using this type of discourse" He added: "If Roma are only blamed and pointed out without finding proper solutions for the situation it doesn't help at all. It only fuels more hatred against Roma." Gergely said Blunkett's intervention was in line with rhetoric on the rise throughout Europe based on "misconceptions, misperceptions or stereotyping" of Roma communities, especially by linking them to criminality.
A spokesman for the Roma Support Group expressed disappointment that Blunkett had added to the "fanfare" of fears about Roma migration and pointed out that his Sheffield constituency has benefited from migration funding in the past.
Miroslav Sandor came to the UK from Bystrany, in central-eastern Slovakia, in 2004. He is now a community worker in Sheffield, helping new arrivals to settle in. "We came here for a better life, having a job, having education for my children," he says. "I want to see a future.”
Gulnaz Hussain has already detected an increase in tensions in Page Hall, which she says prompted her organisation to publish a "myth-busting" document about the Roma community. "A lot of work is going on to see how we can integrate them," she said. "We as a migrant (Pakistani) community faced a lot of the same kind of issues they now face."
There are an estimated 197,705 Roma in the UK, or whom 183,297 are in England, 3,030 in Scotland, 878 in Wales and 500 in Northern Ireland.
Clegg has said Roma immigrants have to be "sensitive" to the British "way" of living. Professor Yaron Matras, an expert on Roma culture from the University of Manchester, accused Mr Clegg and Mr Blunkett of "ethnic profiling". Matras accused Mr Blunkett and Mr Clegg of using "medieval stereotypes". There's nothing in Roma behaviour that's inherently more offensive or intimidating than for any other group. This is ethnic profiling." Matras has worked on projects aimed at improving relations between Roma people and the wider community in Manchester and there had been "amazing success" and a "a complete disappearance" of negative images of Roma in Manchester. Prof Matras added: "There's a very clear correlation. People who meet Roma personally have a positive experience. Those who get their information from indirect sources, such as parts of the media, have negative impressions."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24944572
Another report contradicts the old story that the Roma are here to live off the welfare system. Salford study found local authorities appear to have little contact with most migrant Roma populations, suggesting a high level of self-sufficiency.
ReplyDeletemigrant Roma mainly from Slovakia "tending to be accommodated in private rented housing and not engaging, in any perceptible way, with local authority services"
.http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/14/roma-community-sensitive-british-culture-nick-clegg
A right-wing extremist has been elected regional governor of Banska Bystrica in central Slovakia.
ReplyDeleteMarian Kotleba won 55.5% of the vote in the run-off against Vladimir Manka from the Smer-Social Democrat party.
Mr Kotleba is a former leader of a banned far-right organisation who now leads the ultra-nationalist Our Slovakia party.
He has previously organised marches against Slovakia's Roma minority.
The now-banned neo-Nazi party which Mr Kotleba formerly led had expressed sympathy for the Nazi puppet state which ruled Slovakia during World War II.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25082487