LCP 16/09/2010

La Ligue des Droits de l’Homme (LDH) et le Gisti ont annoncé jeudi leur intention d’engager des procédures judiciaires pour « discrimination raciale » contre le ministre de l’Intérieur, Brice Hortefeux, et les auteurs de la circulaire du 5 août qui mentionnait expressément les Roms.

La LDH et le Groupe d’Information et de Soutien des Immigrés ont décidé « d’une part, de demander au procureur général près la Cour de cassation d’entamer la procédure de jugement de Brice Hortefeux (…) par la Cour de Justice de la République (CJR) pour attentat aux libertés et discrimination raciale », écrivent les deux organisations dans un communiqué intitulé « Faire juger les auteurs de circulaires racistes ».

D’autre part, elles ont décidé de « porter plainte contre X auprès du procureur de la République de Paris », a précisé à l’AFP Stéphane Maugendre, président du Gisti.

Le texte conjoint de la LDH et du Gisti évoque une « plainte pour les mêmes faits à l’encontre Michel Bart, directeur de cabinet (de M. Hortefeux) et signataire matériel de la circulaire raciste du 5 août ». Mais « il semble que ce soit une oeuvre collective », a souligné M. Maugendre, précisant que la plainte serait rédigée dans la journée.

Concernant M. Hortefeux, a-t-il ajouté, les juristes des deux organisations de défense des droits de l’Homme ont estimé que leur seul moyen d’action se trouvait du côté de la CJR, habilitée à juger des crimes et délits commis par les membres du gouvernement « dans l’exercice de leurs fonctions ».

Le Conseil représentatif des Associations noires (Cran) avait annoncé de son côté mercredi une plainte au pénal contre le ministère de l’Intérieur, auteur de la circulaire qui visait expressément et « en priorité » les Roms pour les évacuations de campements illicites.

En début de semaine, le Gisti avait envisagé un recours devant le Conseil d’Etat contre cette circulaire, mais le ministère de l’Intérieur l’ayant remplacée par une autre, qui ne mentionne plus expressément les Roms, cette démarche devant la plus haute juridiction administrative était devenue sans objet.

Mais « ce n’est pas parce que la circulaire a été retirée qu’elle n’a pas existé », argumentait alors M. Maugendre.

Dans leur communiqué, la LDH et le Gisti déplorent le « spectacle pitoyable et indigne » donné selon eux par la France du fait de sa politique à l’égard des Roms, qui « non seulement jette en pâture au racisme et à la xénophobie des populations déjà particulièrement discriminées, mais déconsidère notre pays ».

Sur la même ligne, le Mouvement contre le Racisme et pour l’Amitié entre les Peuples (Mrap) a appelé jeudi « tous les démocrates, humanistes et antiracistes à amplifier (le) mouvement de résistance » manifesté lors de la journée d’action du 4 septembre contre la politique sécuritaire du gouvernement.

« Seule une protestation déterminée dans la société française, conjuguée à la pression internationale, pourra faire reculer cette politique ouvertement discriminatoire », estime le Mrap.

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E.Vincent, A. Leparmentier et P. Ricard, 15/09/2010

Extrait : Sur fond de forte polémique, le ministre de l’intérieur a signé un texte corrigeant celui de son directeur de cabinet. La publication à l’arraché, lundi 13 septembre, d’une nouvelle circulaire sur l’évacuation des campements illicites signée par le ministre de l’intérieur, Brice Hortefeux, a révélé l’ampleur du malaise. Toute la journée, la majorité s’est déchirée, après la publication par la presse, durant le week-end, de plusieurs circulaires dont une, en date du 5 août, signée de la main du directeur de cabinet du ministre de l’intérieur, Michel Bart…..

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TCH, 14/09/2010

Во Франции к СМИ попало служебное предписание министерства внутренних дел Франции о высылке цыган из страны. Больше читайте здесь

В прессу попало служебное предписание министерства внутренних дел Франции о высылке цыган из страны. Этот документ датирован 5 августа 2010 года. Предписание разъясняет представителям власти на местах « специальные указания » президента Франции Николя Саркози. « 300 лагерей должны быть выселены и уничтожены в течение трех месяцев. Выселение цыганских лагерей является приоритетным », – говорится в документе. Утечка вызвала волну недовольства среди оппозиции и правозащитников. Ранее французские власти настаивали на том, что массовая депортация нарушающих законодательство мигрантов происходит не по национальному признаку, и цыган высылают так же, как и любых других нелегалов. « Можете ли вы представить, чтобы подобный документ был выпущен в отношении арабов или евреев? », – задается вопросом глава Группы информационного обеспечения и поддержки мигрантов (Gisti) Стефан Можендре (Stephane Maugendre). Правозащитников поддержала Социалистическая партия, представители которой обратились к Еврокомиссии с просьбой проверить министерское предписание на соответствие международным нормам. В свою очередь, французский министр по делам иммиграции Эрик Бессон (Eric Besson) заявил, что его не интересует документ, попавший в прессу. « Эта бумага не предназначалась мне, и более того, я вообще не знал о ее существовании », – заявил он. 10 сентября Бессон заявил, что Франция не намерена прекращать депортацию цыган в Болгарию и Румынию, несмотря на осуждение со стороны депутатов Европарламента. С середины августа в Румынию и Болгарию были высланы сотни цыган, нелегально проживавших во Франции. Согласно заявлениям французской стороны, депортация осуществляется на добровольной основе, и каждой семье, согласившейся вернуться в страну постоянного проживания, выплачивается денежная компенсация. Поводом для массового выселения цыган и уничтожения их лагерей стал рост преступности, который французские власти связывают с увеличением числа нелегальных мигрантов. Читайте также:
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Mike Corder, 14/09/2010

BRUSSELS — France’s deportations of Gypsies are « a disgrace » and probably break EU law, the European Union’s executive body declared Tuesday in a stinging rebuke that set up a showdown with French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative government.

In recent weeks, French authorities have dismantled more than 100 illegal camps and deported more than 1,000 Gypsies, also known as Roma, mainly back to Romania, in a crackdown that has drawn international condemnation.

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said she was appalled by the expulsions, « which gave that impression that people are being removed from a member state of the European Union just because they belong to an ethnic minority. »

This « is a situation that I had thought that Europe would not have to witness again after the second World War, » she told a news conference, adding « the commission will have no choice but to initiate infringement procedures against France. »

France could ultimately be slapped with a fine by the European Court of Justice if its expulsions are found to have breached EU law.

The crackdown continued Tuesday, as a chartered Airbus took off from the southern city of Marseille for Bucharest with 69 Roma on board, police officials said. Like others repatriated by France, they received a stipend of up to euro300 ($385) per person for resettlement.

At Bucharest’s Baneasa Airport, Argentina Rosca, 30, seven months pregnant with her sixth child, lugged a huge bag as she exited the airport.

« It’s good to be back because my children are here, » she said.

Alexandru Musa, 37, had been in Marseille for three months working in construction, earning euro1,000 a month under the table. He said he would return to France: « I earned good money and I was happy there. »

In Paris, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero expressed « astonishment – that’s the least you can say » at the announcement by the European Commission.

« We don’t think, with this type of statement, that we can improve the situation of the Roma, who are at the heart of our concerns and our action, » Valero told reporters. « It’s not time for polemics. … It’s time for work in favor of the Roma population. »

Sarkozy’s office refused to comment on Reding’s statement.

Roma face widespread discrimination in housing, jobs and education across Europe. As EU citizens, they have a right to travel to France, but must get papers to work or live there in the long term.

The advocacy group Romeurope estimates that up to 15,000 Roma live in France. French authorities have no official estimate.

Sarkozy has linked Roma to crime, calling their camps sources of prostitution and child exploitation. He has insisted that France does not want to stigmatize Roma, but the deportation policy is being criticized as discriminatory because it singles out one community.

Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux defended the policy in France’s National Assembly on Tuesday.

« We do not evacuate … illegal camps because they are Roma’s, we dismantle them because they are illegal, » he said.

Reding at times appeared angry as she read out her statement at the European Commission’s Brussels headquarters, once pounding the desk in front of her and saying: « Enough is enough. »

« After 11 years of experience on the commission, I even go further: This is a disgrace, » she said. « Discrimination on the basis or ethnic origin or race has no place in Europe. »

She also harshly criticized French authorities for telling the EU commission that it was not discriminating against Roma – a claim apparently contradicted by news reports of a government letter ordering regional officials to speed up a crackdown on illegal Roma camps.

« It is my deepest regret that political assurances given by two French ministers is now openly contradicted, » Reding said.

She was speaking about France’s immigration minister, Eric Besson, and its European affairs minister, Pierre Lellouche. Besson on Monday denied any knowledge of the reported Interior Ministry letter and did not speak to reporters Tuesday at a Brussels meeting on asylum issues.

Hortefeux issued a new letter late Monday about dismantling illegal camps that had no reference to Roma, the ministry said, but it would not provide a copy of the new letter to The Associated Press.

Some critics said the apparent flip-flop was part of a bald effort to erase any suggestion that Roma were being targeted by ethnicity.

Stephane Maugendre, the head of an immigrant support group in France, said the move « will not take anything away from the discriminatory character of the practices of regional governments and police regarding the Roma. »

Reding said she was « looking into the legal implications » of the new wording.

« It is important that not only the words change, but also the behavior of the French authorities, » Reding said, adding she was asking French authorities for swift explanation of the matter.

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Devorah Lauter, 14/09/2010

Rights groups seize on a leaked Interior Ministry memo prioritizing illegal Roma camps for clearing as evidence of discrimination. Officials deny wrongdoing but edit the circular to police.

Reporting from Paris — A leaked government document instructing French police to prioritize the systematic elimination of illegal Roma shanty towns, above other unauthorized squats, is fueling accusations that the state is discriminating against a specific group.

The letter dated Aug. 5 from the Interior Ministry to local police prefects calls for « systematic steps for the dismantling of illicit camps, in priority those of the Roma. »

The circular, published by French news media late Friday, has supplied evidence for human rights groups and other individuals to take legal action against the government over its drive to rapidly dismantle illegal camps and deport Roma, also known as Gypsies, to Bulgaria and Romania.

In response, the Interior Ministry announced Monday night that it had rewritten the circular, which stated, « Three hundred illegal camps or sites must be evacuated in three months, in priority those of the Roma. » The new circular does not specially mention Roma. But the edits are not likely to silence critics.

« This openly anti-Roma circular…is the symbol of the discriminatory and xenophobic policy which the government has led for several weeks against this population, » the Socialist Party national secretary, Harlem Desir, said in a statement Sunday. He also asked the European Commission to begin a « procedure » to sanction France for breaking the law; the commission said it would study the development.

With the circular, « we link actions to words. We have targeted a group of people because of their affiliation to a community, » said Stephane Maugendre, president of Gisti, a French legal defense group for immigrants. The group said it was preparing an official complaint against the government’s initiative, to be submitted to France’s State Council, a top judicial body.

Though President Nicolas Sarkozy made it clear in July that he wanted to « put an end to the wild implantation of Roma camps » and called such camps sources of crime, he has denied stigmatizing Roma, an ethnic minority that has long suffered discrimination.

Faced with international accusations of depicting Roma as menacing criminals, Minister of Immigration Eric Besson contended Thursday, before the circular’s leak, that « France uses no specific measure regarding Roma. » The state did not « recognize ethnic minorities » as a concept, and refrains from deporting groups, he added.

On Monday, Besson said he hadn’t known about the circular, which has brought the controversy to a new level.

« We now have a very precise, operational administrative device that is aimed at a highlighted group of people, » said Jean-Bernard Auby, law professor at Sciences Po Paris university. « It’s the techno-bureaucratic quality of the thing that makes it harder to accept, » and adds legitimacy to suspicions the government is guilty of stigmatization, he said.

The circular provides human rights groups and other political opponents a written decision that is necessary in order « to attack » the government through some sort of legal means, said Auby. « You couldn’t just do this based on a press statement or a speech, » he said of official complaints.

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14/09/2010

Rights groups accused France of inciting racial hatred after media published a memorandum ordering police to prioritise the dismantling of Roma camps.

Rights groups accused France on Sunday of inciting racial hatred after media published a government memorandum ordering police to prioritise the dismantling of Roma camps over other illegal settlements.

President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government, criticised by the European Parliament for breaking discrimination rules, insists the crackdown launched in July focuses on removing illegal camps and does not specifically target the Roma as a racial group. The August 5 memo, published on newspaper websites and signed by Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux’s chief of staff, ordered police chiefs and regional prefects to begin “a systematic operation to dismantle illegal camps, prioritising those of the Roma”.

“Three hundred camps or illegal settlements must be dismantled within three months, prioritising those of the Roma,” it said.

There was no official comment on the published memo.

Human rights associations said the document proved the government was singling out the Roma and called for its immediate suspension.

“We’re considering, together with other groups, a criminal lawsuit for incitement to racial hatred,” Stephane Maugendre, president of the immigrant help association Gisti, told Reuters.

Jean-Pierre Dubois, head of France’s Human Rights League, said his organisation was also studying legal action against the government based on the memorandum.

The opposition Socialist party, which has branded the repatriations “shameful”, said European authorities should take action against Sarkozy’s government.

“I call on the European Commission … to open a procedure against the French government to prevent this inhumane treatment and unacceptable stigmatisation of European citizens,” wrote Socialist European parliamentarian Harlem Desir.

The Commission has already asked France to give evidence that its campaign meets EU rules.

The conservative government has repatriated over 1 000 Roma in recent weeks, straining relations with Bucharest. France says the repatriations are mostly voluntary and include a resettlement payment of 300 euros per adult and 100 per child.

On Thursday, the European parliament passed a resolution accusing France of breaching European Union rules on discrimination and free movement of people. – Reuters

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14/09/2010

BRUSSELS – France’s deportations of Gypsies are « a disgrace » and probably break EU law, the European Union’s executive body declared Tuesday in a stinging rebuke that set up a showdown with French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative government.

In recent weeks, French authorities have dismantled more than 100 illegal camps and deported more than 1,000 Gypsies, also known as Roma, mainly back to Romania, in a crackdown that has drawn international condemnation.

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said she was appalled by the expulsions, « which gave that impression that people are being removed from a member state of the European Union just because they belong to an ethnic minority. »

This « is a situation that I had thought that Europe would not have to witness again after the second World War, » she told a news conference, adding « the commission will have no choice but to initiate infringement procedures against France. »

France could ultimately be slapped with a fine by the European Court of Justice if its expulsions are found to have breached EU law.

The crackdown continued Tuesday, as a chartered Airbus took off from the southern city of Marseille for Bucharest with 69 Roma on board, police officials said. Like others repatriated by France, they received a stipend of up to C300 ($385) per person for resettlement.

At Bucharest’s Baneasa Airport, Argentina Rosca, 30, seven months pregnant with her sixth child, lugged a huge bag as she exited the airport.

« It’s good to be back because my children are here, » she said.

Alexandru Musa, 37, had been in Marseille for three months working in construction, earning C1,000 a month under the table. He said he would return to France: « I earned good money and I was happy there. »

In Paris, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero expressed « astonishment — that’s the least you can say » at the announcement by the European Commission.

« We don’t think, with this type of statement, that we can improve the situation of the Roma, who are at the heart of our concerns and our action, » Valero told reporters. « It’s not time for polemics. … It’s time for work in favour of the Roma population. »

Sarkozy’s office refused to comment on Reding’s statement.

Roma face widespread discrimination in housing, jobs and education across Europe. As EU citizens, they have a right to travel to France, but must get papers to work or live there in the long term.

The advocacy group Romeurope estimates that up to 15,000 Roma live in France. French authorities have no official estimate.

Sarkozy has linked Roma to crime, calling their camps sources of prostitution and child exploitation. He has insisted that France does not want to stigmatize Roma, but the deportation policy is being criticized as discriminatory because it singles out one community.

Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux defended the policy in France’s National Assembly on Tuesday.

« We do not evacuate … illegal camps because they are Roma’s, we dismantle them because they are illegal, » he said.

Reding at times appeared angry as she read out her statement at the European Commission’s Brussels headquarters, once pounding the desk in front of her and saying: « Enough is enough. »

« After 11 years of experience on the commission, I even go further: This is a disgrace, » she said. « Discrimination on the basis or ethnic origin or race has no place in Europe. »

She also harshly criticized French authorities for telling the EU commission that it was not discriminating against Roma — a claim apparently contradicted by news reports of a government letter ordering regional officials to speed up a crackdown on illegal Roma camps.

« It is my deepest regret that political assurances given by two French ministers is now openly contradicted, » Reding said.

She was speaking about France’s immigration minister, Eric Besson, and its European affairs minister, Pierre Lellouche. Besson on Monday denied any knowledge of the reported Interior Ministry letter and did not speak to reporters Tuesday at a Brussels meeting on asylum issues.

Hortefeux issued a new letter late Monday about dismantling illegal camps that had no reference to Roma, the ministry said, but it would not provide a copy of the new letter to The Associated Press.

Some critics said the apparent flip-flop was part of a bald effort to erase any suggestion that Roma were being targeted by ethnicity.

Stephane Maugendre, the head of an immigrant support group in France, said the move « will not take anything away from the discriminatory character of the practices of regional governments and police regarding the Roma. »

Reding said she was « looking into the legal implications » of the new wording.

« It is important that not only the words change, but also the behaviour of the French authorities, » Reding said, adding she was asking French authorities for swift explanation of the matter.

⇒ Voir l’article

Mike Corder, 14/09/2010

BRUSSELS — France’s deportations of Gypsies are « a disgrace » and probably break EU law, the European Union’s executive body declared Tuesday in a stinging rebuke that set up a showdown with French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s conservative government.

In recent weeks, French authorities have dismantled more than 100 illegal camps and deported more than 1,000 Gypsies, also known as Roma, mainly back to Romania, in a crackdown that has drawn international condemnation.

EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding said she was appalled by the expulsions, « which gave that impression that people are being removed from a member state of the European Union just because they belong to an ethnic minority. »

This « is a situation that I had thought that Europe would not have to witness again after the second World War, » she told a news conference, adding « the commission will have no choice but to initiate infringement procedures against France. »

France could ultimately be slapped with a fine by the European Court of Justice if its expulsions are found to have breached EU law.

The crackdown continued Tuesday, as a chartered Airbus took off from the southern city of Marseille for Bucharest with 69 Roma on board, police officials said. Like others repatriated by France, they received a stipend of up to euro300 ($385) per person for resettlement.

At Bucharest’s Baneasa Airport, Argentina Rosca, 30, seven months pregnant with her sixth child, lugged a huge bag as she exited the airport.

« It’s good to be back because my children are here, » she said.

Alexandru Musa, 37, had been in Marseille for three months working in construction, earning euro1,000 a month under the table. He said he would return to France: « I earned good money and I was happy there. »

In Paris, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero expressed « astonishment – that’s the least you can say » at the announcement by the European Commission.

« We don’t think, with this type of statement, that we can improve the situation of the Roma, who are at the heart of our concerns and our action, » Valero told reporters. « It’s not time for polemics. … It’s time for work in favor of the Roma population. »

Sarkozy’s office refused to comment on Reding’s statement.

Roma face widespread discrimination in housing, jobs and education across Europe. As EU citizens, they have a right to travel to France, but must get papers to work or live there in the long term.

The advocacy group Romeurope estimates that up to 15,000 Roma live in France. French authorities have no official estimate.

Sarkozy has linked Roma to crime, calling their camps sources of prostitution and child exploitation. He has insisted that France does not want to stigmatize Roma, but the deportation policy is being criticized as discriminatory because it singles out one community.

Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux defended the policy in France’s National Assembly on Tuesday.

« We do not evacuate … illegal camps because they are Roma’s, we dismantle them because they are illegal, » he said.

Reding at times appeared angry as she read out her statement at the European Commission’s Brussels headquarters, once pounding the desk in front of her and saying: « Enough is enough. »

« After 11 years of experience on the commission, I even go further: This is a disgrace, » she said. « Discrimination on the basis or ethnic origin or race has no place in Europe. »

She also harshly criticized French authorities for telling the EU commission that it was not discriminating against Roma – a claim apparently contradicted by news reports of a government letter ordering regional officials to speed up a crackdown on illegal Roma camps.

« It is my deepest regret that political assurances given by two French ministers is now openly contradicted, » Reding said.

She was speaking about France’s immigration minister, Eric Besson, and its European affairs minister, Pierre Lellouche. Besson on Monday denied any knowledge of the reported Interior Ministry letter and did not speak to reporters Tuesday at a Brussels meeting on asylum issues.

Hortefeux issued a new letter late Monday about dismantling illegal camps that had no reference to Roma, the ministry said, but it would not provide a copy of the new letter to The Associated Press.

Some critics said the apparent flip-flop was part of a bald effort to erase any suggestion that Roma were being targeted by ethnicity.

Stephane Maugendre, the head of an immigrant support group in France, said the move « will not take anything away from the discriminatory character of the practices of regional governments and police regarding the Roma. »

Reding said she was « looking into the legal implications » of the new wording.

« It is important that not only the words change, but also the behavior of the French authorities, » Reding said, adding she was asking French authorities for swift explanation of the matter.

Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Paris and Alison Mutler in Bucharest contributed to this report.

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