This documentary was made available by the European Commission to mark International Roma Day in April 2010.
The European Parliament has scheduled a debate on Roma in Europe for Tuesday 7 September in Strasbourg.
What do we know about the Roma? Many of us think of them as poor and living on the fringes of society. While the integration of the Roma still remains a challenge, many of them are managing to find a place in society.
According to the European Commission, the Roma are the EU’s largest ethnic minority, and trace their origins to medieval India. There are many Roma subgroups living in Europe.
Current census statistics state that 535,000 Roma live in Romania, 370,000 in Bulgaria, 205,000 in Hungary, 89,000 in Slovakia and 108,000 in Serbia. Some 200,000 Roma are estimated to live in the Czech Republic, while the same number are estimated to reside in Greece and an estimated 500,000 are in Turkey.
Many Roma from Eastern Europe moved to the West following the EU’s enlargement, creating tensions, particularly in Italy (EurActiv 30/06/09).
An estimated 15,000 Roma from Romania and Bulgaria live in France. The French government is presently expelling large numbers of them in groups (EurActiv 19/08/10).
Recent news on this topic:
European far-right defends Sarkozy’s Roma policy
France accuses Romania of dumping its Roma
Roma controversy rocks French cabinet
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