I should have made a disclaimer, that I was not necessarily opposed to deporting ANY illegal immigrants/illegal residents in France; only that the French government may have selected the Gypsies ONLY because it was politically safe to do so.
On the other hand, all of Europe has a “Gypsy” problem, with centuries of European states claiming they do not belong in, and are not a part of their “state”; with a parallel history of Gypsies being among the earliest “open borders” migrant groups in Europe, having little respect for being recognized as part of any state.
The term “Gypsy” itself comes from the ignorance in Europe, early on, about just where the Gypsies came to Europe from and in that ignorance the popular belief was that they came from Egypt.
The Early History [of Gypsies]
http://www.scottishgypsies.co.uk/early.html
Gypsy History/Lore
http://www.gypsyadvice.com/gypsy_lore.htm
History and Origins of the Gypsies - Where Did it all Begin?
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2044813/history_and_origins_of_the_gypsies.html?cat=37
Roma (Gypsy) Origins & History
http://www.romani.org/local/romhist.html
Thank you for the links. I didn’t take your comment as if you were against deportation of illegal immigrants... I do understand the concerns about them targeting one specific group while not cracking down on others. I’m also guessing that the numbers are so large because of the families wanting to remain together — for instance the Dad or Mom gets caught doing something wrong, but unlike here (for instance) it’s not just Mom or Dad getting deported... I’m sure they are insisting that the French government “provide passage” for the whole family - not just the individuals being “busted”. Of course this is all speculation on my part...
Thanks again for the links. This particular society is not one I know that much about (except for the obvious stereotypes and such).