What the newspapers say: November 6, 2007

All Romanian newspapers read about the rising tensions between Romanian immigrants in Italy and local communities and authorities there once again on Tuesday.

One newspaper reads that Romanian immigrants add some 11 billion euro to the Italian GDP. Another reports the explosion of a makeshift bomb apparently produced by radicals in front of a Romanian shop some 30 km from Rome.

Elsewhere in the news, the Romanian ethnic Rroma (Gypsy) who robbed and killed an Italian woman – which sparked the current tensions – had requested a few weeks before a travel document to leave Italy.

Cotidianul reads that the 600,000 Romanian legal migrants add some 11 billion euro to the Italian GDP annually. Some 15,000 of them have their own businesses, mainly in constructions works (20%), tourism (11%), IT and business (9%).

The newspaper quotes the annual 2007 report, ’’Immigration 2007’’ of the Italian organizations CARITAS and Migrantes launched in Rome on October 30. The report considers the annual contribution of every ethnic migrant community in Italy for 2006.

The report shows that immigrants generally work longer hours than Italians do and they are often time better educated than their counterparts.

For 2006, statistics showed that 14% of foreigners bought households, out of which 50% of the requests belonged to Romanians and Albanians.

Cotidianul also reads about the Romanian social strategies implemented to integrate the Rroma community within the societal structures.

The only report ever produced in this regard, announced by the ”Impreuna” Association, shows that between 1990 and 2006 the government has spend some 50 million euro which, for the 1,5 million Rroma people in Romania, accounts for 2 euro per person.

In 2001, the Social Democratic government has initiated a series of measures meant to a better integration of the Rroma community. Even if the measures imposed an initial investment of 105 million euro, finally, only 5 million were spent.

For years, several measures have been taken to cater for the Rroma needs: attempts have been made to register each Rroma individual, to offer them the possibility to study at all educational levels.

Gandul reads that at a Romanian lead shop in Monterotondo, 30 km away from Rome, a small makeshift bomb exploded shortly after Italian radical leader Roberto Fiore said that from no on, nothing would be the same until Romanians leave Italy.

The family owning the shop has the same family name as Mailat, the Rroma migrant from Romania who is suspected of robbing and aggressing Giovanna Reggiani a week ago.

Meanwhile a manifestation organized by radical groups in Rome was held despite the lack of an official approval from authorities.

More on the issue, Romanian Foreign Minister Adrian Cioroianu is urged to resign after having stated that Romanian citizens like Mailat, the Rroma accused of killing the Italian woman, should be held in a disciplinary camp in the Egyptian desert, Evenimentul Zilei reads.

Several Romanian NGOs have strongly reacted against the Minister’s statement, arguing that he disrespected both the national and European laws. Minister Cioroianu explained on Monday that he made it „as a human reaction” and that this was not his way of thinking.

On the same issue, Romania Libera goes even further and analyzes the Foreign Minister’s improper behavior since he took over the job.