Current Affairs Will tougher immigration measures in Britain stop Czech Roma?
On Monday, Britain unveiled tougher immigration measures aimed at making the country a less attractive destination for economic migrants who claim refugee status. Over the past few years, dozens of Roma families from the Czech Republic have set for a journey to Britain in the hopes of receiving asylum there. Although the majority of them have been turned down, Czech Roma keep leaving the country. Under the new immigration measures in Britain, ten countries aiming to join the European Union by 2004, including the Czech Republic, will be given 'safe' status to stop people applying for asylum on the grounds that they live in danger at home. British authorities claim they are economic immigrants, rather than victims of persecution in their own country. Alena Skodova spoke with Markus Pape from the European Roma Rights Centre, and began by asking him whether the tougher immigration measures in Britain would prevent Czech Roma from applying for asylum there?
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