"Roma Virtual Network"romale0804@yahoo.com "Roma_France"
France building a wall around Romani camping site
18.5.2015 19:54
A map of the campsite used by Romani people on the
outskirts of the French town of Wattrelos, where a barrier 2.4 meters high is
scheduled to be erected near the Belgian border. (PHOTO:
The French town of Wattrelos, located on the border with
Belgium, is erecting a wall around a campsite that is reportedly used by Romani
people. The 2.4 meter high barrier will extend to the border.
The wall was recently added to the existing plans for the
campsite. It is supposed to prevent the Romani people from traveling into the
small Belgian town of Mouscron on the other side of the border.
The plan for the wall has sparked controversy in Belgium
and in France. It was the town hall of Mouscron that demanded the roadblock be
erected.
"Those people will not be able to cross into Belgium
from there, they will have to make their way around the barrier, which means
they will not cross the border so frequently. The aim is not to hide them from
view, but to create a safer environment," said Alfred Gadenne, a member of
the Mouscron local council.
Deputy Mayor of Wattrelos Henri Gadaut said the
construction is just a "palisade". It was added to plans for a
reception center to be built in the town with room for approximately 20+
caravans after the plans were approved.
Gadaut said this is definitely not an "anti-Romani
wall", as some Belgian newspapers are reporting. He claims the wall has
nothing to do with Romani people.
France categorizes persons occupying caravans as
"gens du voyage". These are individuals who do not maintain permanent
addresses and travel all over the country.
What Gadaut is calling a "palisade" is,
according to the project plans, a wall of concrete slabs. Residents on the
Belgian side of the border frequently complain about the occupants of the
current caravan camp in Wattrelos, whom the Belgian press refer to as
Romani.
Gadaut reduced the incidents reported from Belgium down
to a single occurrence, which he said involved a window being broken in
someone's veranda. "The boys were playing with a slingshot," the
French daily Le Figaro quoted him as saying.
According to French law, all municipalities with more
than 5 000 inhabitants must build reception centers for citizens who migrate.
The center in Wattrelos will have room for 24 caravans next year.
ČTK
,translated by Gwendolyn Albert
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