The Roma, or the Gypsies, are a displaced population living throughout Europe. They have been in the news recently. In France, a family was deported to Kosovo after their asylum appeal was rejected after a few years. However, the deportation removed a girl from a French school and the outcry was sufficient that President Hollande intervened. The girl—but not her family—is being allowed to return to France to complete her education. Also last week, Greek police picked up a fair-skinned, blonde-haired, green-eyed girl from a Roma camp because she did not look like her family. They performed a genetic test and found she was of no relation and fear the child was kidnapped. A bit earlier than last week, the French interior minister said that most Roma were not capable of integrating into French society and that they should leave France. And so the New York Times put together a piece supporting an article about the Roma population in Europe that is worth a quick look if you want to better understand the Roma diaspora.
Credit for the piece goes to the New York Times graphics department.
