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Thousands of Romania’s Roma, also known as Gypsies, have been heading for the relative wealth of Western Europe, and setting off a clash within the European Union over just how open its “open borders” are. Migration within the 27 nations of the European Union has become a combustible issue during the economic downturn. The union’s latest expansion, which brought in the relatively poor nations of Romania and Bulgaria in 2007, has renewed concern that the poor, traveling far from home in search of work, will become a burden on wealthier countries. The migration of the Roma is also raising questions about the obligations of Romania and Bulgaria to fulfill promises they made when they joined the union. Romania, for instance, mapped out a strategy for helping the Roma, but financed little of it.

Nicolas Sarkozy of the state of France has demanded that the Romanian government do more to aid the Roma at home. He vowed to keep dismantling immigrant camps and angrily rejected complaints from EU Commission officials that the French authorities were illegally singling out Roma for deportation. Mr. Sarkozy has tried to revive his support on the political right by deporting thousands of them, offering 300 euros, about $392, to those who go home voluntarily, and bulldozing their encampments. The European Commission has threatened legal action against Paris over the deportation, calling it disgraceful and illegal.

This case illustrates the problem the EU has in enforcing compliance of the terms of the accession talks of new states. In addition, this case puts the power relation between the EU and its state governments under palpable pressure. Lastly, the case showcases the difficulty involved in integrating Europe.  More than a common market, the EU states have open borders.  This appreciably decreases the power, and indeed sovereignty, of the state governments such as France and Germany—governments that were hitherto used to being in the driver’s seat.  So it will be interesting to see whether Sarkozy bows to the EU government or the ECJ (the EU’s Supreme Court) when he is under what must be strong domestic pressure to get rid of the Roma.

Relative to Arizona’s new immigration law, France’s deportation of a race of people is radical. Yet whereas in the US France’s policy would produce a vitriolic response from the media and the left, in the EU it is largely the EU government that is objecting. This difference points to a difference between American and European culture.  Perhaps due to the relatively recent history of racial slavery in some of the American states, there is more sensitivity to race in the US—yet there is also racism in the US. Perhaps the racism in the US is one on one now, whereas the racism in the EU is in some state policies.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/world/europe/17roma.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp