Gypsies reject flights home
Roma campers offered healthcare, school in Romania
Thursday July 19 2007
A GROUP of Roma gypsies living in makeshift camps near the M50 motorway have rejected offers of free flights home.
The gypsies were also promised by the Romanian government that they would have health and education benefits and would be considered for free housing.
Romanian embassy officials in Dublin said last night they were embarrassed by the activities of the gypsies, many of whom were begging on the streets of Dublin.
Officials from several Government departments were in contact with the embassy last night about the status of the group, which has been camping on the roundabout on the Ballymun exit from the M50 and at the Old Swords Road.
Embassy officials said they were concerned about an influx of gypsies who had begun coming here since January, after Romania gained access to the EU.
Many of them had arrived here from other countries, including Spain and France, after being told they would receive a daily cash allowance and free housing here. However, they have not been entitled to any benefits since the start of the year.
They have no work permits, are not involved in the educational system and do not have sufficient means to support themselves.
But garda inquiries discovered that one man had wired €1,400 to his wife through the Western Union, although his wife is living here with him.
"They can use the Western Union like a bank and the money can stay in the system without being collected for two years," one source said.
There is no evidence to indicate how a man who claims to be penniless and lives on the side of the road can be in possession of such a large amount.
"It is not likely that this money was gained from begging," the source added.
Some of the Roma gypsies who have been arriving here since the start of the year have convictions in their home country for a series of criminal offences including aggravated burglary and aggravated theft.
About 30 of them have been detained here by gardai for public order offences such as allowing their children to beg on the streets.
Embassy officials have attempted to negotiate with them and said it was not true, as they claimed, that conditions for them at home were worse than they are here.
A fresh offer of free flights home was made to the group living near the M50 yesterday morning.
Gardai denied reports that they had attempted to move the gypsies away from the encampment, where they have been living in spartan conditions for the past two months.
Intelligence
Intelligence given to the Romanian embassy suggested that many of those now living here had arrived from Spain, Lyons in France and Brussels.
One senior embassy official told the Irish Independent: "We are very embarrassed that some of our citizens have been involved in aggressive begging on the streets of Dublin.
"They seem to be under the impression that if they stay here long enough they will be given special allowances.
"But the law is clear and there are many others watching developments elsewhere. If concessions are made in Ireland, a large influx of others will arrive."
The Roma co-ordinator for the Travellers' lobby group Pavee Point, Sara Russell, said yesterday that the Roma living in the M50 encampment had been subjected to racist attacks and slurs.
She said that eggs had been thrown and abuse shouted at a family on Tuesday night.
- Tom Brady
