'Benefits a factor' in Roma exodus

THE SENIOR housing executive official involved in resettling more than 100 Roma immigrants who were targeted in racist incidents…

THE SENIOR housing executive official involved in resettling more than 100 Roma immigrants who were targeted in racist incidents has said their decision to return home may have also been influenced by ineligibility for state benefits.

Michael Graham, principal officer in charge of housing and regeneration, told the BBC: “Racism was certainly the catalyst by which the people finally determined that they wanted to go home, but I still believe that had these people been entitled to public funds, which unfortunately they weren’t, their decision may have been different.”

The housing executive helped to organise secure accommodation in south Belfast following racist intimidation more than two weeks ago. It also organised and paid for return flights to Romania for 107 Roma and their families.

A further 14 flights for single immigrants were paid for by a local charity while three others organised and paid for their own fares. Just two members of the Roma community in Belfast have decided to stay.

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The total cost has been estimated at £32,000 (€37,100) by the housing executive.

The Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities criticised the fact the Romanians were not entitled to benefits. “There’s nothing in place for people who basically have no access to benefits,” Jolena Flett said. “We believe one of the main reasons they left is because they feared for their safety.”

There was also a need for “strong policy and leadership”, she added.

The housing executive said yesterday there was no suggestion that the Roma families involved were in any way to be seen as “benefits tourists”.

Mr Graham was closely involved with each of the families intimidated from their rented accommodation in Belfast and was well placed to ascertain why they had decided to leave Northern Ireland, The Irish Times was told.

Director of housing Colm McCaughey said: “There is no doubt the Roma families were forced to flee as a direct result of racist attacks.

“It is important now to review and learn lessons from their dreadful experience. Hard questions must be asked about how so many people came to be living in so few homes. What were the circumstances by which they came to be living here? And how did our community respond to them?”