Expel not those among us, the Gypsies

".. fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer.." - Shylock's defense, The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare

Are Gypsies european? (note that european is in small letter). This is to open up discussion. And not to express concluding and derogatory statements.

In the past weeks, more than a thousand Gypsies, or Roma, were expelled from France by the government that is inspired by an egalitarian goal since the French Revolution. And so the world and Gypsies thought.

French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, ordered the dismantling of over a hundred illegal camps of the Gypsies, one of the poorest ethnic group in Europe. His justification was that these camps were havens of crimes and displayed undignified living conditions in France, a country that has a generous welfare system. To show its condescending generosity, French government voluntarily provided cash payment of more than 300 euros per expelled adult and 100 per child.

Is the French government singling out and targeting an ethnic group on its policy of dismantling illegal camps and expulsions of those staying in the country allegedly without means of supporting their stay?

That is as plain as snow for the critics to see. However, the French government argued and defended that there is no targeting of any ethnic group. It is simply exercising its right to expel people illegally staying within its own jurisdiction for security reasons.

Why are the Gypsies living in such an undignified condition in the first place? Is it the failure of the governments to integrate them in society? Who is looking after them?

The recipient of the expelled Gypsies is Romania, a new member of European Union. The issue is not about new member confronting a founding member, nor a poor member vis-a-vis a rich member of the Union.

It is about an ethnic group that has long been victimized by structural violence such as discrimination, prejudice, and neglect, in the European countries which are incidentally looked up to by developing countries. The issue takes a lot of less ground for these countries to condemn any discriminatory acts by developing countries against ethnic minorities in their territories.