Everything But The Weed

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Linda Maze, a Wedding photography Gainesville FL in Gainesville Florida

In recent days the subject of the Roma people (also called Gypsies) has become headline news. In fact it has become such significant news that it has wholly overshadowed the EU summit opening in Brussels.

Two aspects in particular have made this issue front page news. One is the comment made by Viviane Reading, the EU justice commissioner, who compared the French treatment of Roma with that of the Jewish people during the Second World War.

This remark was made after a document was leaked from the French interior ministry, which showed that despite the government denying it, the Roma people were being targeted as a group on ethnic grounds.

What makes this much more controversial is that criticism from other European countries is usually hypocritical. With the European Union spreading east, the migration of Roma people was inevitable. As they migrated to the west, the social stigma connected to the Roma people increased.

This occurs for a variety of simple factors. The Roma people are historically nomadic and have consequently by no means seriously integrated themselves in other countries. For example when the Roma people were living in Eastern bloc countries the children were eligible for schooling and received books and pencils and so on. Western European countries have however witnessed extremley high desertion rates of Roma people in schools.

It is for reasons like this and the associated criminal offenses that other European countries have deported Roma people. The Danish government has been seeking ways to remove them, the Swedish have secretly been removing them, Germany has repatriated them to Kosovo, the Belgians have destroyed their camps and the Italians have declared a state of emergency.

The Roma people have unknowingly brought themselves to the heart of European politics and what the EU signifies. A London solicitor would almost certainly suggest that its an incredibly complicated case which will last for some time.

The right to freedom of movement is one of the European Union’s most important features. Solicitors in West London would say that it is ironic that Europeans are struggling to deal with the freedom of movement by a European community who have mastered the ability to move freely.

There isn’t any debating the sensitivity of this case. The movement of people around Europe is a fundamental principal of the EU and therefore an issue which requires significant amounts of thought. Making hasty decisions without thinking about the legal and human impact is utterly unreasonable and if not managed properly can lead to a slippery slope.