European Roma Rights Centre ALWAYS SOMEWHERE ELSE Anti-Gypsyism in France Country Report Series, No. 15 November 2005 Table of Contents Copyright: © European Roma Rights Centre, November 2005 All rights reserved. ISBN 963 86955 01 ISSN 1416-7409 Layout: Dzavit Berisa Printed in Budapest, Hungary. This report is published in English and French. The authoratative version is the English. For information on reprint policy, please contact the ERRC 5 Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements....................................................................................................9 Note on Terminology...............................................................................................11 1. Executive Summary...........................................................................................13 2. Introduction: A Climate of Racism Against Travellers and Gypsies.................31 3. Gypsies and Travellers in France: A History of Rejection, Control and Repression .........................................................................................................47 4. Second Class Citizens: Inequality of Travellers and Gypsies in the Exercise of Basic Civil and Political Rights.........................................................................61 4.1 Discriminatory Control over the Movement of Travellers and Gypsies: Circulation Documents................................................................................63 4.2 Discrimination in Access to an Identity Card..............................................67 4.3 Obstacles to the Political Participation of Gypsies and Travellers..............69 4.3.1 Infringement of Travellers’ and Gypsies’ Right to Vote.....................70 4.3.2 Obstacles to the Participation of Gypsies and Travellers in Decision-Making................................................................................73 4.3.3 The Absence of the Voices of Gypsies and Travellers in the Application of the Besson Law............................................................77 5. Assault on a Way of Life: Laws, Policies and Practices Related to Travelling, Halting and Living Conditions of Gypsies and Travellers................................83 5.1 Excluding Travellers and Gypsies from Most of French Territory..............84 5.1.1 Territory Legally Off-limits to Gypsies and Travellers......................88 5.1.2 Territory Factually Off-limits to Gypsies and Travellers..................101 5.2 The Failure of French Courts to Consistently Uphold the Rights of Travellers and Gypsies...............................................................................116 5.3 Discrimination and Eviction of Travellers and Gypsies who Buy Land...121 5.3.1 Obstacles to the Purchase of Private Property..................................123 5.3.2 Forced Evictions from Property Belonging to Travellers and Gypsies......................................................................................124 6. Denying Gypsies and Travellers Adequate Housing.......................................131 6.1 Substandard Conditions and Segregation on Official Halting Areas.........132 6.2 Continuing the Trend of Substandard Halting Areas: Proposals for New Sites.............................................................................................142 6.3 Denial of Water, Electricity, Sewage and Solid Waste Removal, and Other Basic Facilities to Travellers and Gypsies Who Buy Land.............149 5 Always Somewhere Else: Anti-Gypsyism in France Acknowledgements 6.4 Substandard Living Conditions in Areas of Permanent Settlement...........159 6.5 Discrimination against Travellers and Gypsies in Access to Social Housing...........................................................................................169 6.6 Harassment of Travellers Who Buy Constructible Land...........................176 6.7 Deleterious Health Effects of Inadequate Housing....................................177 7. Discriminatory Treatment and Abuse of Travellers and Gypsies by Criminal Justice Officials.................................................................................181 7.1 Ill-treatment and Abuse of Travellers and Gypsies during Forced Evictions....................................................................................................181 7.2 Abusive Raids of Gypsy and Traveller Places of Residence during Searches, Checks or Arrests.......................................................................195 7.3 Racial Profiling of Travellers and Gypsies................................................200 7.4 Discrimination by Judicial Authorities......................................................202 8. Discrimination in Access to Social and Public Services..................................205 8.1 Discriminatory Treatment of Travellers and Gypsies in the Provision of Social Assistance.......................................................................................205 8.1.1 Discrimination in Access to Housing Assistance .............................206 8.1.2 Segregated Social Services...............................................................209 8.2 Discriminatory Treatment of Travellers and Gypsies in the Provision of Public Services......................................................................................212 8.2.1 Discrimination in Access to Insurance..............................................213 8.2.2 Discrimination by Public Service Establishments............................214 9. Discrimination Against Gypsies and Travellers in Access to Employment.....217 9.1 Restrictions on Halting – Obstructing Travellers’ and Gypsies’ Ability to Work..........................................................................................219 9.2 Regulations that Hinder Gypsies’ and Travellers’ Opportunities for Self-Employment.......................................................................................220 9.3 Discrimination in Access to Salaried Employment...................................223 9.4 A Favoured Workforce for Work Presenting Health and Safety Hazards......................................................................................................225 9.5 Racism a Constant Backdrop to the Economic Possibilities of Gypsies and Travellers ..............................................................................227 10. Violations of the Right to Education of Traveller and Gypsy Children...........229 10.1 Dramatically Low School Participation Rates.........................................230 10.2 Obstacles to School Enrolment of Children Who Travel.........................234 10.3 Obstruction by Local Officials to School Enrolment of Traveller and Gypsy Children..................................................................................239 6 7 Always Somewhere Else: Anti-Gypsyism in France Acknowledgements 10.4 Discrimination by an Examination Committee.......................................242 10.5 Inferior Education....................................................................................244 10.6 Segregated Schooling of Gypsy and Traveller Children.........................245 10.7 Gypsy and Traveller Children in “Special Schools”................................251 10.8 Applying Circular No. 2002-101 of 25 April 2002 on the “Schooling of Traveller Children and Non-Sedentary Families”.............254 11. Anti-Discrimination Legislation......................................................................257 12. Subjecting Romani Migrants to Inhuman and Degrading Treatment..............265 12.1 Introduction..............................................................................................265 12.2 Substandard Living Conditions: French Slums.......................................267 12.3 Pattern and Repeated Forced Evictions...................................................274 12.4 Abusive Police Conduct During Evictions..............................................276 12.5 Indirect and Abusive Methods of Evicting Romani Migrants.................280 12.6 Denying Romani Migrants Means of Survival........................................284 12.7 Penal Sanctions against Roma Who Beg.................................................289 12.8 Denying Romani Migrants the Right to Health.......................................290 12.9 Denying Romani Migrants the Right to Education.................................291 12.10 Romani Migrants Targeted for Deportation...........................................292 12.11 Discrimination Against Romani Political Asylum Seekers...................297 12.12 Conclusion: The Urgent Need to Provide Protection to Romani Asylum Seekers......................................................................................300 13. Conclusion: Failed Equality.............................................................................303 14. Recommendations............................................................................................309 15. Bibliography....................................................................................................317 16. Summary in Romani........................................................................................327 6 7 Acknowledgements 9 Acknowledgements ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was produced by staff, interns, consultants and volunteers to the ERRC. The research team that carried out field research for this report over a period of a year and a half was lead by Lanna Yael Hollo, who wrote the report. Savelina Danova/Russinova edited drafts of the report. Jose Brun and Danielle Mercier read parts of the report and provided comments. Corina Savu interpreted between Romani/Romanian and French during research with migrant Roma. Gil Hyde and Kelly Johnson proofread drafts of the report. Claude Cahn copy-edited drafts of the report and authorised its publication. The ERRC is grateful to the many Travellers and Gypsies who were willing to de- scribe their personal experiences and who provided invaluable encouragement in the research and writing of the report. It is also thankful to the many other individuals and organisations who were willing to share their expertise with the ERRC and to the state of- ficials who agreed to be interviewed. Gyula Vamosi provided the summary in Romani. The ERRC is additionally grateful to the following individuals who provided invaluable support and assistance during the course of preparing this report: Frédéric Bone, José Brun, Joseph Charpentier, Pierre Delsuc, James Dubois, Céline Larivière, Frédéric Lievy, Dani Peto Manso, Danielle Mercier, Karine Moreau, Nara Ritz, Maurice Ruiz, and Franck Sinclair, who generously shared their knowledge and networks with the ERRC. Anne-Marie Auger, Alain Fourest, Bertrand Favarel Garrigues, Jean-Claude Giraud, Jean Arroucau, Michèle Mézard, Nicolas Mole, Christophe Monteiro, Flore Naudin, and Laurence Pinochet, who provided various forms of technical assistance during ERRC field missions and shared information. 9 Note on Terminology 11 Note on Terminology NOTE ON TERMINOLOGY Identity issues among the many communities regarded as “Gypsies” and “Travelers” in France are complex and have long been externally perceived through stereotypical notions and categories. For the purposes of this report, the ERRC uses the terms “Gypsies” and “Travel- lers” to refer to individuals and groups who are French citizens, who are descended from groups that have long been citizens of France, and who have for many genera- tions played a key role in French society and history. The category “Gypsies and Travellers” includes persons of diverse culture, frequently self-identifying as “Sinti”, “Manouche”, “Kale”, “Gitan”, “Roma”, “Yenish”, “Traveller” or other. The ERRC uses the term “Romani migrants” to refer to non-citizens who have recently arrived in France from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and who are generally regarded as “Gypsies”. Such persons share the stigma of the long-standing racist stereotypes associ- ated with “Gypsies” and “Gens du Voyage” (Travellers) in France, and therefore are frequently subjected to hostility and to racially discriminatory harms. Many of these persons (Sinti, Manouche, Kale, Gitan, Roma) share an Indic origin, being descended from persons who left India around one thousand years ago. However, some do not. The common elements binding all persons subjected to the treatment described in this document are anti-Gypsy/anti-Traveller racist discourse and related widespread discrimination. The ERRC uses the word “Gypsies” with some hesitation, given the derogatory connotations of this word in a number of countries in Europe. However, in the French context, this term is not generally considered to have the same pejorative connota- tions as elsewhere, is commonly used to refer to the persons concerned in this report who share common experiences of racism and discrimination, and, in particular, is the word used for self-designation by various Gypsy associations. 11 Executive Summary 13