France’s harsh policy towards Roma immigrants has seen almost 20,000 of them evicted in 2013, according to the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC). Many live in squatter camps that are regularly demolished by French police, only to be rebuilt again elsewhere.
On the outskirts of Paris, an estimated 10,000 Roma gypsies live in camps without basic sanitation, running water or electricity. Residents use candles and wood-burning stoves, which create fire-hazards within the small confinements of the squats.
Since January 2014, Roma from Bulgarian or Romanian decent are officially entitled to the same rights to housing and work as any other EU citizen, but the reality is often different. Many Roma cannot access regular employment or social housing and some end up on the streets.
An Amnesty International study released in 2014 accused French police of using excessive force against Roma people, particularly when removing them from illegal camps. The evictions have not led to a decrease in the overall number of Roma in the country, which remains at an estimated 20,000.
