[Scape]

martin14 martin14:

Gypsies are not being denied access to education, or jobs for that matter.
This is simply false.

I know, I live over here, remember ?
They are plenty of programs and schools that accomodate, and when
possible, integrate Roma students.

The problems start when the parents refuse to send the child to school,
or the kid shows up tired, hungry and beaten.
Not in the best shape to learn something.

Access to Education for Roma and other Minority Students: Three Case Studies of Village and Small Town Schools in Bulgaria

Today, despite the benefits that EU accession has brought, Roma remain the most persecuted people in Europe.

$1:

In a 2003 poll, 91% of Czechs said they held “negative views” about Roma, whilst 50% of Hungarian police officers believed that criminality was a “genetic” and “key element” of their identity.

The majority of Roma live in squalor, denied equal access to education and healthcare and deprived of adequate housing. Marginalised from decent towns and villages, they are often forced to settle in cramped ghettos. They are at the bottom of every socio-economic indicator: they are the poorest; least educated; shortest lived; most welfare dependent; and most unemployed (70% in most areas) people in Europe.

Not that I don't doubt you but the facts do not support your case. Gypsies are well known to be the poorest and least educated in Europe. There could be some choice in that but at some point as a culture it leads to a downward spiral and choice is taken out of the equation at that point.

[martin14]

Bulgaria, dude.. not the Czech Repub.
Yes, its worse there, communism didnt help.
Does every village deserve to have school, with all teachers and admin,
no matter how small ?
Got money to pay for it ?

When the kids have to travel, more will drop out.. simple.

[Scape]

Just citing common material. My point being their plight is not something they just recently stumbled upon. However, this is digressing from the larger point that there is a difference between economic refugees and those who are truly persecuted and the Roma's are a people that fall in a grey area here. I still think the Harper government wants to do away with the refugee system completely because he has been under staffing the position and then opening the floodgates so that they are never seen as doing their jobs.

[martin14]

East governments have been trying to integrate Roma since I dont when.
100 years now.


They have been given apartments, land, jobs, schools, all normal infrastructure.
electricity, water, etc.


given.


During Communism, every one had to have a job, including the Roma.
Actually working or producing something was secondary.
Everyone had to go school.

As soon as the wall fell, they went back to the old ways,
cheating, stealing, not working.... by CHOICE.
Because the Roma who wanted to stay and integrate, with a job and a place to live...
they did.


Make no mistake in your mind Scape, these are economic opportunists, nothing more.

To say they are persecuted, would be the same as saying the black guy in Courtney
should apply for refugee status somewhere because of what happened.

You want to agree to that ???

[Scape]

I'm not the one making policy here. However economic reasons would not be a valid application for refugee status as the system is currently set up. Besides which we already have a regular immigration Que which is also over worked and understaffed. If your concern is to filter out scam artists we have a system in place we just need to staff it.