Negative Impacts of European Union Expansion on Romani Populations

This presentation focuses on the effects of EU expansion on Romani populations throughout Europe, with a special emphasis on those residing in Eastern Europe. The EU instituted a number of policies intended to help European Romani, one of the most persecuted minority groups on the continent, but rather than significantly improving quality of life for this population, in many places relations between Romani and greater European society have worsened. I introduce the topic by reviewing the legal frameworks created for this purpose, and discussing existing literature that examines the pitfalls of EU Romani policies. Next, I argue that through europeanization and profit-oriented migration policies, the EU has furthered the marginalization of Romani across Europe and created an atmosphere unsympathetic to Romani issues. I analyze the identity frame of Romani promoted by europeanization, which allows states and EU administrative bodies to divert responsibility for helping Romani populations. I then illustrate the ways in which EU migration policy sidelines impoverished groups in favor of skilled workers. This practice disproportionately harms Romani migrants, who commonly work within the scope of the informal economy, and allows for expulsions and other discriminatory practices to persist. I conclude my argument by reiterating the ways in which EU Romani policy has had the opposite of its intended effect, and suggest ways to correct the deficiencies of current measures.