gypsies

The Roma Integration Award ceremony was held in Brussels on Oct. 1, part of the European Union (EU) decision to make Roma integration a priority in the interest of strengthening human rights. The awards are the first of their kind, drawing attention to the situation of the estimated 12 million Roma people mostly living in Western Balkans and Turkey, and supporting non-governmental organizations working on Roma issues.

Recent expulsions of Roma reopened a longstanding discussion on the fate of this ethnic minority.

The deportation of Roma people from France has left observers wondering what President Nicolas Sarkozy hopes to gain.