Crossing the line
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As France's expulsion of travellers continues, a fresh controversy has erupted over suggestions that Paris wants to make Romania and Bulgaria's membership of the Schengen visa-free club dependent on their handling of the Roma issue.
France is currently repatriating hundreds of Roma to Romania and Bulgaria, saying that they are illegal travellers who have no right to stay in the country. Critics say that this policy contravenes the European principle of freedom of movement and is nothing other than "deportation".
Today France's EU Minister Pierre Lellouche fought back. He stressed that the repatriations are being conducted on a voluntary basis and suggested that Romania and Bulgaria must "accept their responsibilities to their own citizens" before demanding the right to visa-free travel around the EU.
Romania and Bulgaria are expected to join the Schengen visa-free zone in March 2011, but the French minister's words contained a clear threat that a spanner could still be put in the works.
To add insult to injury, Bulgaria and Romania are not among the select few invited to an informal summit of interior ministers in Paris on 6 September, where the spotlight will be firmly on immigration.
So far the Italian, German, British and Spanish interior ministers have been invited to Paris for the September meeting with their French counterpart and visiting Canadian Immigration and Citizenship Minister Jason Kenney. The Belgian EU presidency has also been asked to attend, but the EU Commission confirmed today that it has not received an invitation.
