Immigration is one of the areas that is coordinated by the EU member states so it makes sense that members should have meetings on immigration matters.

1. ^ Towards a common European Union immigration policy, september 2007, http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/immigration/fsj_immigration_intro_en.htm
2. ^ Roma people living in the EU: Frequently asked questions, 25/10/10, http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/383

Where it becomes not acceptable is holding immigration summits about citizens of EU member countries (which most roma are) as they should have the right to go where they wish. France does not object (much) to the 500,000 or so brits living in France^[1] so why should it be any different for Roma?

1. ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/4204918/Living-in-France-The-English-Trap.html

It is clear that in the mind of some Western European politicians there is no place for Roma as equal citizens of European Union. This attitude also to a certain degree affects non-Roma from new EU countries. Proposed summit is among the first official hate events, which will create a virtual "Iron Curtain" between old and new EU states. The idea of "United Europe" is questioned and tested these days...

To argue that new memberstates as a whole have lost out from joining the EU is absurd. Sure there are going to be some losses (I would be surprised if agriculture is one of them I would expect it would be manufacturing losing out to the Germans given EU economic history). In Bulgaria and Romania's case it could be argued that they joined at a bad time, just before the financial crisis so have not seen as many benefits as the other new members but the benefits of joining the EU did not start on the day they joined there had been help and opening of EU markets for years before. During the 10 years before the financial crisis Romania's GDP was growing nicely at above 5%^[1] although this is somewhat balanced by -7.2% growth for 2009 this was a year where almost every economy contracted^[2]. Besides economics has little to do with racisim, it is not being racist to engage in the free market. Where it may become racist where you say it is fine to import oranges from spain but not from Morocco. However there are rules against preventing imports from any member state and this includes Bulgaria and Romania.

At the same time it should be pointed out that it is the Eastern European states that want free movement of labour from Eastern Europe to the west and it is the western states that are against it (as I would think would be shown by the current situation). To argue that the old EU states are only interested in bringing people out of new member states seems to be the reverse of what this debate is about.

p.s. this is not a point for the summit simply questioning the lack of worth of joining the EU.

1. ^ http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdi&met=ny_gdp_mktp_kd_zg&idim=country:ROM&dl=en&hl=en&q=romania+gdp+growth
2. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Romania

Richer countries want to be permanently supported: to get educated work force, educated by poorer countries from their own budgets. Bad news for them are only the fact that education is not equally distributed there. And, by promoting 'free labour movement', they can get not only educated mainstream workers and slaves, but also free minded much less educated in average and not avid for money (thus 'not motivated') people who hold strongly besides to family values. :) Someone will mention that EU supports the new members. But who has really counted a ratio between received support and what these countries have lost and still loose by ruining their own production facilities and agriculture and importing all from abroad? :)

I think that these events are just a more direct demonstration of old continued things. Nothing will not surprise me more after certain speeches and personal answers (e.g.one by Catherine Lalumière) heard in 10th anniversary of ECRI in Strasbourg, especially if to take France. I do not talk about a handful of true antiracists in ECRI itself.

If someone can change the situation, only educated Roma from the Central and Eastern Europe, and from Balcans who still understand emancipation as such. Well, policies serving richer countries to have a cheap work force, a disguised human trafficking in fact, can include antiracist elements as well, but it makes me smile a bit. I doubt if such hypocrite societies understand the word 'integration' at all.

Eglė Kristina Kučinskaitė (Lithuania).

The following invitation by DUR is an answer and comment to Sarkozy and EU politics. It should stop immediatley, and ROma should be united and show that are people with dignity.

_______________________

There is expansion of new wave of racism toward Roma in Europe. During the last year six Roma were killed in Hungary by extremist right groups; in Slovakia, Romania and Italy there is a permanent pressure on Roma. In UK Roma are evicted even from their property, the land they own, they are expelled from Denmark; and the last statement of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy is an approval on state and political level of Roma persecution.

On 4th of September in Paris, on Place de la Republique, at 14,00 pm CET protest will take place.

Racist attacks and repression toward Roma is becoming serious problem on European level. Therefore, we are going to hold the solidarity protests in Vienna and Belgrade on 4th September at 14, 00 CET. We are inviting the other European cities to join and in front of EU buildings to say “Stop racism”.

Join and say “Stop racism”

____________

Tanja Jordan Vasić (Serbia).

The deportation is not the solution of the problem at all. It's just another escape of the problem resulting in a very serious confrontation. Every nation can peacefully coexist.

Elena Chernikova (Vancouver, Canada).