Some French lawmakers are being accused of proposing oppressive human rights bills that aim to hide what they think is a “social problem”. One new proposal would fine so-called ‘Travellers’ - including Rroms, Sintes, and Kales - 3,000 Euro and confiscate their vehicles if they are found camping outside a designated camping site. Many of the designated sites are situated in places with very high pollution, far from any service facilities, and without sewage services. The government occasionally has recourse to having police escort Travellers to the border. In response to the proposed legislation, Paris city officials are preparing strategies to protect the Rroms from abuse. These new measures would include creating public awareness against the dangers of negative stereotypes, helping Rroms obtain legal status in order to fight police escorting, and involving more European institutions in the matter with a call for greater attention to France’s human rights violations.
