After France’s expulsion of Roma gypsies from its shores, things are moving in the Italian capital, Rome, where many Rome are unlikely to be received with anymore welcome than that which they experienced in France.
Rome’s current mayor, Gianni Alemanno, is not particularly friendly towards the Roma (many of whom are Romanian nationals) and the climate of acceptance of these people is even colder than usual.
Italy’s minister for internal affairs, Roberto Maroni, who also comes from Italy’s hardline, right-wing Northern League party, is to meet his French counterpart in an effort to create joint strategies regarding the influx of the Roma gypsies into the two European countries.
Some of the strategies may see life improve for these people, who often live in total degradation.
One of the plans is to set up situations in which the ‘rom’, as they’re called in Italy, won’t be living in illegal camps and won’t have access to land and territory in which to set up their camps.
This is part of a move to secure the right sanitation and hygiene conditions and avoid incidents like the terrible fire in a camp recently, that killed a three-year-old boy.
It’s difficult to imagine just how this removal of the rom from their camps and establishment of new accommodation intended to take place in Rome and the region of Lazio will be achieved but many Italians are waiting to see just how it might be managed.
So far Italy has not mentioned whether it will expel the Roma gypsies in the same way that France has done, but so far it looks like it’s moving in the direction of protection the Roma health and welfare first.