French press: gypsies discriminated in Romania, beggars in France, swinging between disillusion and hope

Vineri, 18 septembrie 2009, 11:01 English | Regional Europe

George is a 63 year old Romanian gypsy who is currently begging on Paris streets, on Caumartin street, more exactly. French journalists from 20 minutes daily portray a day in the life of the gypsy, underlying his resignation for begging:"My oldest son could not support me anymore so I chose to come to Paris to beg. It's not what I want, but there's nothing I can do in Romania", George says.

He knows that authorities are soon going to pick him up from the streets after three months to be expelled back in Romania and he hopes that he will also receive some money from the French administration. Another Romanian gypsy, a 32 year old man talks about his begging experience in France.

He explains that he would like to come to Romania and work in constructions but as the sector is collapsing, his only choice at the moment is begging. Together with his wife and their 10 year old child, Romanian gypsies sleep among garbage. Their 10 year old child dreams of being a doctor someday.

Romanian gypsies are not the only foreigners begging in France, the newspaper reads. In the last months, the beggars community in Paris increased with Sudanese, Afghans, Iranians and Iraqi people. Nonetheless, the Rroma community is the oldest around.