In fact France has come under fire from the United Nations' human rights commissioner over its treatment of Roma gipsies. While criticising countries such as Syria and Bahrain, Navi Pillay also singled out the French for forcibly deporting illegal immigrants from eastern Europe.
According to the UN, the Roma are being forced out of their homes on illegal campsites across France and deported to Romania or Bulgaria.
At the opening of the 21st session of the UN's Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, Miss Pillay said she "acknowledges (that) a number of steps that have been taken by the government but further efforts must be made to address this situation."
In August, police raids in Paris and other French cities dismantled camps housing Roma from Eastern Europe and left hundreds without shelter. The move echoed a crackdown on Roma two years ago under conservative former president Nicolas Sarkozy that drew criticism. But the French government since then has made it easier for Roma, who mostly originate from Romania and Bulgaria, to get jobs and stay in France by expanding the number of sectors where residents of those nations can seek work. The government also abolished a tax paid by employers to hire people from the two countries.
Addressing the council, Mrs Pillay first described her "grave concern" over the ongoing conflict in Syria, which she said had devastating consequences for the Syrian people. On their part, activists say up to 26,000 people have been killed in the country since the start of the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime in March last year.
Next on her list was Bahrain for handing down "harsh" prison sentences to human rights activists and opposition figures. Mrs Pillay also spoke of human rights problems in Colombia, Ivory Coast and Congo. She also noted issues in Kenya, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Myanmar and many other countries, and then she mentioned Greece.
She noted problems in Greece, where there has been a surge in racist attacks against immigrants with dark skin. "Equally troubling are violent xenophobic attacks against migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in recent months, for example, in Greece. I am also concerned about reports that the police appeared to have been unable to respond effectively to protect victims of xenophobic crimes."
Greece launched a campaign in August to try to seal its 200-kilometer (130-mile) northeastern border in the face of a crippling financial crisis that has caused joblessness to soar. Diplomats from dozens of countries, including Bahrain, France and Greece, are still expected to respond to Pillay's criticism.
Watch the video from SKAI channel, which is so fixated on Golden Dawn that it has a column which bashes the party everyday, and look who they feature during the report. It is the President of the Pakistani Community, yes the same man who was arrested by Interpol for smuggling illegal immigrants into Greece from Turkey. Also, listen to what common everyday citizens say, especially the Merchants Association of Greece, whose members have been threatened, tortured, and even attacked by illegal immigrants who force the sale of contraband products at Greek marketplaces. Maybe Mrs Pillay should watch this report before opening her mouth about Greeks not treating illegal immigrants fairly. The juicy parts begin at about 1.32 into the video. (Note, if you cannot view this video from your part of the world, hellasfrappe will try to find something on YouTube to replace it, but until we do... you will just have to trust us on this.
Editor's Note - It is going to be very interesting to see what the Greek government will say. Her statements sound like Greece and Greeks are attacking foreigners, when all along most of the foreigners that have illegally crossed into Greece have been attacking Greeks! Our senior citizens are terrified to leave their homes, EVEN DURING THE DAY, families do not go out in fear that they will be mugged, women are scared of being raped and tortured by sex-starved men and so on.. and so on.. The people of this country are not racists nor xenophobic Mrs. Pillay they are trying to survive after being forced to accept 2 million foreigners who are trafficking black market goods which are stealing jobs from Greek people. All this money is then sent to their countries of origin while they continue with other activities in Greece such as prostitution, narcotics trade, trafficking, theft, muggings, car-jacking and robberies with Kalashnikov rifles and rapes. The UN is supposed to defend human rights of all people... not a selected few. Indeed we do not encourage violence against illegal immigrants, but we cannot tolerate being terrified to leave our homes everyday and we certainly do not expect the State to help us, when all it does is concentrate on being "politically correct" so as not to offend personalities such as yourself. You have no concept of the problem because you are not living in this environment. Why not show some compassion to the people of Greece who have tolerated this terror for several years now? And if you are such a humanitarian... then we suggest that you adopt all these people and take them into your own home instead of making tens of thousands of dollars to council other nations about being more "politically correct" from, the comfort of your "politically correct" chair. Get real!