Sweden must clean up its own back yard

Sweden's Minister for European Union Affairs Birgitta Ohlsson has voiced criticism of France's deportations of members of the Roma community. But the outrage at France is hypocritical given Sweden's harsh deportation practice for Roma, writes the liberal Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter. "Ohlsson hasn't minced her words in her criticism of France. That is justified, but not even the French police deport Roma during their first three months in the country. ... It is important that the EU Commission has begun to react, and that commissioners Cecilia Malmström and Viviane Reding should question France about what is going on. The French mass expulsions are deeply disturbing, as is the disgraceful policy towards the Roma in Bulgaria and Romania. But for Sweden's criticism to hold water the first thing we have to do is clean up the back yard at [the seat of government] Rosenbad."

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