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Are the Roma oppressed or unwelcome?

| Wednesday, 9 Sept. 2010 | 18:00 - 19:00 GMT

The EU has called France's decision to deport Roma migrants a "disgrace". The move has sparked international outrage.

But is France right to take targeted action against illegal Roma migrants who they believe have caused social problems and who are perceived by many French citizens to be taking unfair advantage of their country?

Your comments

  1. Comment sent via host

    That''s all for today. What will we talk about tomorrow? Well, we''re the show where you set the agenda - so send us your thoughts: worldhaveyoursay@bbc.com

  2. Comment sent via Facebook

    Jerry Cordaro - Let's see - Reagan turned the US from the world's largest creditor into the world's largest debtor, Bush I kept that going, and Bush II was the only president in the postwar era to have a net job loss in his time in office. We should listen to their economic advisors because...?

  3. Comment sent via YOURSAY

    Jeff in San Carlos California emails - The Republicans are worried about big government because they don't want the average person to have a voice. They are elitists who want business leaders, and their politicians, to control the government. And as for the size of government they were the ones in the US who started two wars that we never should have entered and they never even thought about the terrible cost in people and money.

  4. Comment sent via Twitter

    @91بب±¬_WHYS Starvation matters aside, do people really write Cuba off as a failure? Why do people do that when our

  5. Comment sent via Facebook

    Angelo J. Falanga - It looks like the powers that be want Americans to choose between re-electing Obama to maintain the status quo or electing the dumbest possible civilian leadership so they can go about their business undisturbed

  6. Comment sent via Facebook

    Sarah Colenso - We need to get our middle class back, and cut back the public sector. We cannot afford this!

  7. Comment sent via Facebook

    Peter SoonChing Liu - The trouble with a free market economy is that the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer.

  8. Comment sent via BLOG

    John in Lake Oswego on the blog: So here's a question - How many of the people who complain about the excessive wages and benefits of government employees would turn down one of those jobs if it were offered?

  9. Comment sent via Facebook

    Martin Mulenga - Small or large, I would say a balance needs to be found that will serve the peoples' interests efficiently and effectively. In Cuba, cutting jobs will hurt them in the short run, but maybe it will be beneficial in the long run as people will be forced to be self productive.

  10. Comment sent via Facebook

    Eddie Szeliga - I worked for a county in new jersey and "Fairly' paid is laughable, I say, Laughable! A Fairly paid public sector WOULD be a great anchor to the American Economy.

  11. Comment sent via Facebook

    Diana M. Rodriguez - Hmmm... it strikes me as odd that Cuban jobs can be cut and it really make a difference. Isn't the Communist State supposed to "take care" of all its citizens regardless? Isn't that ironic?

  12. Comment sent via BLOG

    Justin in Iowa on the blog - One of the biggest reasons we require "big government" today, and pensions and benefits, is because the younger generation is a lot less interested in their family, supporting their family, and living with their family.

  13. Comment sent via BLOG

    Abdelliah in Morocco on the blog - Perhaps one of the major drawbacks of the Cuban economy is complete state interference in the economic activities of its people in the name of Communism. Do the measures following the cut of a million jobs mean Cuba is going to have a liberal economic approach taking China as an example?

  14. Comment sent via host

    That''s it for our discussion on the Roma - now we''re moving on to look at the debate over big government. You can listen here:

  15. Comment sent via YOURSAY

    Armand emailed from Oakland, California - Do you think that the moving around aspect of their culture could have derived from being discriminated against so universally that HAVING to move around becomes second nature because they they always have to?

  16. Comment sent via BLOG

    Guido on the blog - If we talk of integration we must talk about the integration of person, not the community. There are leaders that profit from the current situation and will do everthing to keep the current status. We have to think how it is possible to leave these communities

  17. Comment sent via BLOG

    Maria on the blog - The problem with the Romani is that they don't really want to integrate with the others. I can tolerate them in my country, Poland where there are many Romani comunities, especially where I live. And I see how their ignore laws, they don't take help which is given them. Majority of them even don't know Polish and they don't want to change.

  18. Comment sent via Facebook

    Mark - If the French wish to remove settlements, they're within their rights... it's when Roma settlers are specifically named and targetted that it gets nasty.

  19. Comment sent via BLOG

    Guido on the blog - Dismantling illegal camps is the right of the French government. But the government ordered to dismantle camps, especially those of Roma. This is racist and in violation of the French constitution.