always somewhere else

342 Pages·2005·3.17 MB·English

European Roma Rights Centre
ALWAYS
SOMEWHERE ELSE
Anti-Gypsyism in France
Country Report Series, No. 15
November 2005
Table of Contents
Copyright: © European Roma Rights Centre, November 2005
All rights reserved.
ISBN 963 86955 01
ISSN 1416-7409
Layout: Dzavit Berisa
Printed in Budapest, Hungary.
This report is published in English and French. The authoratative version is the English.
For information on reprint policy, please contact the ERRC
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Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements....................................................................................................9
Note on Terminology...............................................................................................11
1. Executive Summary...........................................................................................13
2. Introduction: A Climate of Racism Against Travellers and Gypsies.................31
3. Gypsies and Travellers in France: A History of Rejection, Control and
Repression .........................................................................................................47
4. Second Class Citizens: Inequality of Travellers and Gypsies in the Exercise of
Basic Civil and Political Rights.........................................................................61
4.1 Discriminatory Control over the Movement of Travellers and Gypsies:
Circulation Documents................................................................................63
4.2 Discrimination in Access to an Identity Card..............................................67
4.3 Obstacles to the Political Participation of Gypsies and Travellers..............69
4.3.1 Infringement of Travellers’ and Gypsies’ Right to Vote.....................70
4.3.2 Obstacles to the Participation of Gypsies and Travellers in
Decision-Making................................................................................73
4.3.3 The Absence of the Voices of Gypsies and Travellers in the
Application of the Besson Law............................................................77
5. Assault on a Way of Life: Laws, Policies and Practices Related to Travelling,
Halting and Living Conditions of Gypsies and Travellers................................83
5.1 Excluding Travellers and Gypsies from Most of French Territory..............84
5.1.1 Territory Legally Off-limits to Gypsies and Travellers......................88
5.1.2 Territory Factually Off-limits to Gypsies and Travellers..................101
5.2 The Failure of French Courts to Consistently Uphold the Rights of
Travellers and Gypsies...............................................................................116
5.3 Discrimination and Eviction of Travellers and Gypsies who Buy Land...121
5.3.1 Obstacles to the Purchase of Private Property..................................123
5.3.2 Forced Evictions from Property Belonging to Travellers
and Gypsies......................................................................................124
6. Denying Gypsies and Travellers Adequate Housing.......................................131
6.1 Substandard Conditions and Segregation on Official Halting Areas.........132
6.2 Continuing the Trend of Substandard Halting Areas: Proposals
for New Sites.............................................................................................142
6.3 Denial of Water, Electricity, Sewage and Solid Waste Removal, and
Other Basic Facilities to Travellers and Gypsies Who Buy Land.............149
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Always Somewhere Else: Anti-Gypsyism in France Acknowledgements
6.4 Substandard Living Conditions in Areas of Permanent Settlement...........159
6.5 Discrimination against Travellers and Gypsies in Access to
Social Housing...........................................................................................169
6.6 Harassment of Travellers Who Buy Constructible Land...........................176
6.7 Deleterious Health Effects of Inadequate Housing....................................177
7. Discriminatory Treatment and Abuse of Travellers and Gypsies by
Criminal Justice Officials.................................................................................181
7.1 Ill-treatment and Abuse of Travellers and Gypsies during Forced
Evictions....................................................................................................181
7.2 Abusive Raids of Gypsy and Traveller Places of Residence during
Searches, Checks or Arrests.......................................................................195
7.3 Racial Profiling of Travellers and Gypsies................................................200
7.4 Discrimination by Judicial Authorities......................................................202
8. Discrimination in Access to Social and Public Services..................................205
8.1 Discriminatory Treatment of Travellers and Gypsies in the Provision of
Social Assistance.......................................................................................205
8.1.1 Discrimination in Access to Housing Assistance .............................206
8.1.2 Segregated Social Services...............................................................209
8.2 Discriminatory Treatment of Travellers and Gypsies in the Provision
of Public Services......................................................................................212
8.2.1 Discrimination in Access to Insurance..............................................213
8.2.2 Discrimination by Public Service Establishments............................214
9. Discrimination Against Gypsies and Travellers in Access to Employment.....217
9.1 Restrictions on Halting – Obstructing Travellers’ and Gypsies’
Ability to Work..........................................................................................219
9.2 Regulations that Hinder Gypsies’ and Travellers’ Opportunities for
Self-Employment.......................................................................................220
9.3 Discrimination in Access to Salaried Employment...................................223
9.4 A Favoured Workforce for Work Presenting Health and Safety
Hazards......................................................................................................225
9.5 Racism a Constant Backdrop to the Economic Possibilities of
Gypsies and Travellers ..............................................................................227
10. Violations of the Right to Education of Traveller and Gypsy Children...........229
10.1 Dramatically Low School Participation Rates.........................................230
10.2 Obstacles to School Enrolment of Children Who Travel.........................234
10.3 Obstruction by Local Officials to School Enrolment of Traveller
and Gypsy Children..................................................................................239
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Always Somewhere Else: Anti-Gypsyism in France Acknowledgements
10.4 Discrimination by an Examination Committee.......................................242
10.5 Inferior Education....................................................................................244
10.6 Segregated Schooling of Gypsy and Traveller Children.........................245
10.7 Gypsy and Traveller Children in “Special Schools”................................251
10.8 Applying Circular No. 2002-101 of 25 April 2002 on the
“Schooling of Traveller Children and Non-Sedentary Families”.............254
11. Anti-Discrimination Legislation......................................................................257
12. Subjecting Romani Migrants to Inhuman and Degrading Treatment..............265
12.1 Introduction..............................................................................................265
12.2 Substandard Living Conditions: French Slums.......................................267
12.3 Pattern and Repeated Forced Evictions...................................................274
12.4 Abusive Police Conduct During Evictions..............................................276
12.5 Indirect and Abusive Methods of Evicting Romani Migrants.................280
12.6 Denying Romani Migrants Means of Survival........................................284
12.7 Penal Sanctions against Roma Who Beg.................................................289
12.8 Denying Romani Migrants the Right to Health.......................................290
12.9 Denying Romani Migrants the Right to Education.................................291
12.10 Romani Migrants Targeted for Deportation...........................................292
12.11 Discrimination Against Romani Political Asylum Seekers...................297
12.12 Conclusion: The Urgent Need to Provide Protection to Romani
Asylum Seekers......................................................................................300
13. Conclusion: Failed Equality.............................................................................303
14. Recommendations............................................................................................309
15. Bibliography....................................................................................................317
16. Summary in Romani........................................................................................327
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Acknowledgements
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Acknowledgements
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This report was produced by staff, interns, consultants and volunteers to the
ERRC. The research team that carried out field research for this report over a period
of a year and a half was lead by Lanna Yael Hollo, who wrote the report. Savelina
Danova/Russinova edited drafts of the report. Jose Brun and Danielle Mercier
read parts of the report and provided comments. Corina Savu interpreted between
Romani/Romanian and French during research with migrant Roma. Gil Hyde and
Kelly Johnson proofread drafts of the report. Claude Cahn copy-edited drafts of the
report and authorised its publication.
The ERRC is grateful to the many Travellers and Gypsies who were willing to de-
scribe their personal experiences and who provided invaluable encouragement in the
research and writing of the report. It is also thankful to the many other individuals and
organisations who were willing to share their expertise with the ERRC and to the state of-
ficials who agreed to be interviewed. Gyula Vamosi provided the summary in Romani.
The ERRC is additionally grateful to the following individuals who provided
invaluable support and assistance during the course of preparing this report:
Frédéric Bone, José Brun, Joseph Charpentier, Pierre Delsuc, James Dubois,
Céline Larivière, Frédéric Lievy, Dani Peto Manso, Danielle Mercier, Karine Moreau,
Nara Ritz, Maurice Ruiz, and Franck Sinclair, who generously shared their knowledge
and networks with the ERRC.
Anne-Marie Auger, Alain Fourest, Bertrand Favarel Garrigues, Jean-Claude
Giraud, Jean Arroucau, Michèle Mézard, Nicolas Mole, Christophe Monteiro, Flore
Naudin, and Laurence Pinochet, who provided various forms of technical assistance
during ERRC field missions and shared information.
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Note on Terminology
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Note on Terminology
NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY
Identity issues among the many communities regarded as “Gypsies” and “Travelers”
in France are complex and have long been externally perceived through stereotypical
notions and categories.
For the purposes of this report, the ERRC uses the terms “Gypsies” and “Travel-
lers” to refer to individuals and groups who are French citizens, who are descended
from groups that have long been citizens of France, and who have for many genera-
tions played a key role in French society and history. The category “Gypsies and
Travellers” includes persons of diverse culture, frequently self-identifying as “Sinti”,
“Manouche”, “Kale”, “Gitan”, “Roma”, “Yenish”, “Traveller” or other.
The ERRC uses the term “Romani migrants” to refer to non-citizens who have
recently arrived in France from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and who
are generally regarded as “Gypsies”.
Such persons share the stigma of the long-standing racist stereotypes associ-
ated with “Gypsies” and “Gens du Voyage” (Travellers) in France, and therefore
are frequently subjected to hostility and to racially discriminatory harms. Many of
these persons (Sinti, Manouche, Kale, Gitan, Roma) share an Indic origin, being
descended from persons who left India around one thousand years ago. However,
some do not. The common elements binding all persons subjected to the treatment
described in this document are anti-Gypsy/anti-Traveller racist discourse and related
widespread discrimination.
The ERRC uses the word “Gypsies” with some hesitation, given the derogatory
connotations of this word in a number of countries in Europe. However, in the French
context, this term is not generally considered to have the same pejorative connota-
tions as elsewhere, is commonly used to refer to the persons concerned in this report
who share common experiences of racism and discrimination, and, in particular, is
the word used for self-designation by various Gypsy associations.
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Executive Summary
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