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Roma families return to Belfast

By Lisa Smyth
Thursday, 6 August 2009

Twelve Roma men who fled Northern Ireland following a series of racist attacks have returned to the province.

Their families are to arrive in time for the children to start the new school term in September.

Derek Hanway from An Munia Tober, an organisation representing the Travelling community in Northern Ireland, said the men have found some work and are hoping to build new lives for themselves and their families in Belfast. The locations of the new homes have not been revealed.

While the airfares of the families returning to Romania after the racist attacks were paid by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Mr Hanway said he was not aware of Government funding to the families returning to Northern Ireland.

A spokesman from the Housing Executive said: “We have had no contact whatsoever with any of these individuals. They are not receiving any assistance.”

All but two of the 114 Romanians who were forced to flee their homes after a spate of racist attacks in June left Northern Ireland.

Over 70 flew out of Dublin Airport after spending more than a week in temporary accommodation.

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Let me clear this up;

A few months ago N Ireland was not safe, we were racist and according to a TV personality with big teeth, addicted to violence! I was thinking to myself, well Romania must be worse!

Tony, most people no longer live where they did centuries ago but they intergrate and become part of new communities. You are correct, I have never been to Romania but I have seen people from there (even if they only blew in a few hundred years ago) begging in a dozen other countries.

I have no problem with them being here and would prefer if they were allowed to work.

I listened to Anna Long earlier, saying they only take their children on to the street to beg because they have to! Seems to me they do that where ever they are so stop giving NI a bad press.

Stephen

Posted by Stephen | 06.08.09, 21:35 GMT

Well, I hope they all had a nice holiday on the public purse.

Posted by Karyn | 06.08.09, 16:52 GMT

"Apparently in fear for their lives."
Beenie, really?
It was really that long ago and I'm sure you could still trawl news sites such as this if you need your memory refreshed as to what happened.
I think you could empathise slightly if you were put through the same set of circumstances.
When they do return I would think they will be giving serious consideration as to where they live.
These people are doing nothing wrong, they are doing nothing illegal and are using anything they can to improve the quality of life for themselves and their families.
If you have a serious issue concerning foreigners coming here legally and legitimately you really should consider approaching the government with your concerns rather than casting aspersions at those who are innocent.

Posted by Ulysses32 | 06.08.09, 15:04 GMT

Beenie

No, I think stephen was having a bit of a go here at Romania in general.

The Roma get lots of hassle also in Romania, where they are shunned by the general population. We all know the reason why they are back - I think anon has a valid point.

Posted by Tony | 06.08.09, 14:37 GMT

Tony, I think the point Stpehen was trying to make was that the Romas fled N. Ireland, apparently in fear for their very lives. It's not unreasonable to wonder what has brought them back here relatively soon afterwards....

Posted by Beenie | 06.08.09, 13:54 GMT

To Stephen,

It's obvious you have never been to Romania. Romania is a wonderful country and is very beautiful in places, especially around Brasov - in the Carpathian moutains. The Roma are an ethenic minority (Originating from Asia) who settled in Romania several centuries ago and have a nomadic lifestyle. Unlike mainstream Romanians - a Latin people who are a mixture of Dacian / Roman in origin (How Romania got it's name since it was a Roman provence), The Roma are constantly on the move. They generally live apart from mainstream Romanians and mostly live in some sort of poverty. Your comments about Romania in general are very unfair - my wife is Romanian and I have had many wonderful visits there visiting medieval castles, drinking 'tuica' a plumb brandy at social events and gerally having a good time. Maybe you should visit there and see the truth before opening your gob!

Posted by Tony | 06.08.09, 13:30 GMT

while i sympathise with these familys isent it odd they were to scared to stay in belfast,so after housing executive paid there fares home they are back again,obviously not as frightened as it was said at start, or am i being cynical they know a good thing when they see it

Posted by william | 06.08.09, 13:16 GMT

Wait for it, wait for it. Pretty soon we will see a lot of negative posts appearing, criticising the payouts they got for returning home and any assistance they received and comments made about them being gluttons for punishment.
After all, the abhorrent treatment of these people happened 6 weeks ago, well in the distant past.
Maybe the people who live in the area that they will reside in will show them how respectful, ordinary, decent human beings should behave to their neighbours.
As for those who have complaints against immigrants, these people did nothing and are doing nothing wrong. Let them get on with their lives.

Posted by Ulysses32 | 06.08.09, 13:06 GMT

Any comments from Esther Rantzen or Fiona Phillips etc who branded all of us in NI as hate mongers? Hope the Roma's enjoyed their free trip back home for summer.

Posted by JohnB | 06.08.09, 13:04 GMT

NIHE should now re-claim the fares that were paid out to return the Romas to Romania from any coming back to NI. The mass departure was due to Belfast being so dangerous for the Roma. A lot of mileage was gained from this at the time and just how awfully racist Northern Ireland was. So what has changed? There must be at least 6 other countries betwen Romania and here, including soft touch GB. So why move all the way back here. The old EU citizen argument is surely diluted by the distance the Roma have to travel to return. The EU is more than the UK and Ireland.

Posted by lumina | 06.08.09, 12:14 GMT