MORE THAN 10 of the 114 members of the Roma community who fled Northern Ireland after a number of racist attacks on them in south Belfast in June have returned to the North, with more due to follow in the coming weeks, writes Gerry Moriarty.
Alliance Assembly member Anna Lo, who campaigned for the Romanians, said she was glad that the Roma, all men, felt sufficiently confident to return to Northern Ireland. She hoped that this would demonstrate that only a small number of people in the North were involved in such attacks and that “Northern Ireland is not a racist place”.
The Roma plan to again take up such work as selling newspapers and washing cars. Their families are expected to join them before the beginning of the school term in September so their children can continue to be educated.
The North’s Department of Social Development welcomed their return. The department, run by SDLP Minister Margaret Ritchie, provided £32,000 to fly 114 members of the Roma community back to Romania after the attacks.