Abstrakt
Since the EU began allowing visa-free travel for Serbs and Macedonians, there has been a sharp increase in Roma from the Balkans applying for asylum in old members countries such as Germany, Belgium or Scandinavia. However, the EU says there are no grounds for granting asylum in these cases.
An increasing number of Roma asylums seekers are a phenomenon which the Enlargement process towards Western Balkans has in common with the Eastern Enlargement before the accession of post-communist Central and Eastern European countries to the EU. The origins of Roma migrations from post-communist states can be dated back to the 1990s when many of the poorly qualified Roma lost their jobs and their incomes due to the transformation after the collapse of communism.
Nowadays, EU institutions or Amnesty International calls Roma one of Europe's largest and most disadvantaged minorities facing significant level of poverty, social exclusion and rights abuses. Roma communities tend to score low on all key indicators including income, education, employment, and with worse access to healthcare.
The migration of Roma in the context of enlargement processes can be considered as a litmus test of the European right to freedom of movement and anti-discriminatory policies. Sigona and Vermeersch (2012) describe current debates about Romani mobility as polarized between calls for security and control of migration and appeals to fight discrimination, increase the Roma´s chances for social inclusion and defend their minority rights.
Our case study examines this polarization in relation to different aspects of enlargements policies and intends to explore effects of an expanding regional integration on the most disadvantaged groups. European experience may bring an important lesson to develop asylum frameworks in South-East Asia subregion where situation highlights the need for a regional approach to refugee protection and international migration.