Green Party / Roma motion

The Roma / France debarcle continues to be in the news. Ethnic groups and indiginous peoples are under attack across the world and the Roma are one example that is close to home.

http://www.greenparty.org.uk/News/11-09-2010-em-roma-keith-taylor.html

Green conference passes Emergency Motion on Roma

11 SEPTEMBER 2010

On the heels of French deportations of Roma that have hit international headlines in recent weeks, Green Party autumn conference has passed an emergency motion on the issue.

The emergency motion urged "all Green Party elected representatives in local, national and international governments apply maximum pressure toward improving equality and access to services for Roma people and asserting their human rights."

Keith Taylor, the proposer of the emergency conference motion, and the Green Party's MEP for South East England, said: "The Roma are European citizens, yet some of their most fundamental rights - including freedom of movement within the EU and access to services - have been abused. It's clear that the actions against them are driven by xenophobia, and represent a flouting of national obligations under international law."

The motion expresses "profound concerns over the recent treatment of Roma people in France and Italy. In particular, the mass deportations of Roma people which appear to have been made purely on the grounds of ethnicity." It also points out that similar actions by the governments of Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

There are an estimated 10-12 million Roma people in the EU, making them the EU's largest ethnic minority.

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Full text of emergency resolution

This conference:

Notes

- that the Roma community is Europe's largest ethnic minority, at 10-12 million people, and trace their roots back to India in the Middle Ages

Expresses

- profound concerns over the recent treatment of Roma people in France and Italy. In particular, the mass deportations of Roma people which appear to have been made purely on the grounds of ethnicity
- concerns also about similar government actions in Germany, Denmark and Sweden
- support for the calls for legal action against the Member State governments for their deportation of Roma people

Believes

- that deportation on ethnicity is wholly wrong and immoral and cannot be tolerated
- that such deportations are illegal, run counter to the Charter of Fundamental Human Rights and infringe the freedom of movement to which all European citizens are entitled
- that travelling Roma people are entitled to suitable health, housing, education and social services in every EU Member State 
- that this week's decision by the European Parliament to condemn the French government and demand an immediate halt to deportations is to be welcomed
- that UK national and local government must improve service provision for gypsies and travelling people

& Therefore Requests

- that all Green Party elected representatives in local, national and international governments apply maximum pressure toward improving equality and access to services for Roma people and asserting their human rights
- the European Commission to urgently develop a pan-European Roma integration strategy
- that GPEx communicates' members wishes