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ROMANIA

Sweden eyes deal with Romania on welfare

Sweden is close to reaching a deal with Romania to help the struggling country solve some of its most pressing social issues. The focus will be on children's rights, the government's special co-ordinator Martin Valfridsson told the Local on Thursday.

Sweden eyes deal with Romania on welfare
Many people from Romania come to Sweden in search of a better life. Photo: Hasse Holmberg/TT

A first draft of a so-called co-operation agreement to deal with issues surrounding some of Romania's most vulnerable groups is currently being prepared by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, with the hope of the two governments penning a formal deal this summer.

“It is not set in stone yet, but both countries have expressed an interest to initiate co-operation on social issues, particularly on children's rights and education. Romania is very interested in how Sweden organizes its welfare system,” Valfridsson told The Local on Thursday.

Romania's minister for social affairs met with her Swedish counterparts Åsa Regnér and Annika Strandhäll in January to discuss potential co-operation between the two countries.

And Regnér's State Secretary Pernilla Baralt and Valfridsson, who is Sweden's national co-ordinator for the work with vulnerable people in Europe, have just returned from a trip to Bucharest to follow up on the talks.

"It feels like we can talk about both complicated and tough issues. The goal now is to create a more long term and wider framework for our future discussions. The plan is to be able to sign the agreement this summer," Baralt told Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet on Thursday.

The potential agreement would enable Sweden and Romania to exchange knowledge and views on social issues. Sweden would also share information in order to help Romania apply for EU structural funds.

“Romania is a rather poor country, consisting of many smaller municipalities with far fewer resources than in Sweden. There is a lot of improvement potential in social issues, to put it diplomatically, but there is also an ambition to get better at dealing with them,” Valfridsson explained.

Thousands of beggars have arrived in Sweden over the past few years, with ninety percent of them travelling from Romania, according to figures released by Stockholm's Social Administration Board in April 2014.

Most of them are members of the Roma community – one of the EU's largest minority groups – and arrive as EU tourists fleeing poverty under the right to Freedom of Movement. Many end up on the street. In February dozens of Roma beggars were evicted from a city square in Stockholm amid rising concern about the growing number of beggars in the Swedish capital.

And Valfridsson said the new co-operation deal could be a “piece of the puzzle” in helping to solve their plight.

“In the long run this could be one of the effects. If you've got a good life in your own country you are less likely to travel to another. It's one piece of the puzzle," he said.

READ MORE: Meet northern Sweden's frozen Roma beggars

IMMIGRATION

In pictures: Meet the American street photographer documenting Madrid’s invisible population

When Michael Damanti, a photographer from the United States, moved to Madrid five years ago with his Spanish wife and two children he expected to make a bunch of new friends in the new city.

In pictures: Meet the American street photographer documenting Madrid's invisible population
A Romani girl begging in central Madrid. All photos: Michael Damanti

But what he didn’t count on was that he would meet a group of people that would have such a profound influence on his everyday life and work.


The man behind the lens: Damanti taking a selfie with his new friends.

“In 2015 I was an outsider in this country, trying to learn the language and find work. A chance encounter soon changed that, forming the beginnings of a long-term photographic series about Romani population in Europe, he told The Local.

“Walking home one day from another disappointing day of cliche photos, I came across a Roma Girl sleeping on the ground holding an old change cup. Her name was Sibella. I knelt down to take her photograph and as I stood up I noticed another Roma-girl walking right towards me saying, “What are you doing? That is my sister!” That was the day I met the “Cobadin-Girls of Sol”.

“Over the next four years I met with them every day, carefully documenting their story and gradually becoming absorbed into their lives. We have been through births, deaths, arrests, fights and the day to day struggles we all endure.”

What he has produced is a remarkable set of photographs of a group of people who are at best invisible to society and at worst, the frequent targets of abuse.

At first, he approached them with handmade signs with witty slogans, such as 'freewifi' and '#Brexit: Keep calm and give me money' to replace the ineffectual ones they had written themselves.

“This was the way into their lives, I noticed their signs were incredibly long (5-6 lines) and 100 percent trite and boring.  No one was reading them. So I offerend alternatives, lighthearted signs with quick simple messages in English for the tourists. This began the friendship.”

But it soon developed into a deeper friendship, one in which they invited him to dine with the family group as they cooked up stews in cardboard shelters under the roadside bridges where they sleep at night.

He even introduced them to the concept of birthday parties, after realising that for the most part, they didn’t even know how old they were, let alone celebrate the occasion.

“I happened to ask one of the girls when her birthday was and she didn't know.  I couldn't believe it so I asked all of them….. one by one they each shook their heads and asked me why it mattered to know that,” he explained.  

“I read their ID's and realized one of the girl's birthdays was in a week.  So I bought a cupcake and a candle and introduced them to the concept of birthday parties.  They had no idea what to do. I lit the candle, sang happy birthday and then stood their as they all stared at me.  

“I had to tell the girls to blow out the candle. Little by little they embraced the birthday ritual and now they all want a party on their special day.”

What has consistently surprised him is the level of racism they endure on a daily basis.

“Some men make sexual advances on the girls. That's the worst. I've seen old women spit at them.  I've seen shop owners throw drinks in a pregnant girl's face just for begging near his shop. But the one that stands out most was the black eye on Sevda's face given to her by two drunk teenagers as she slept under a bridge while seven month's pregnant,” he recounts.  

“The nastiest comments always come from elderly people or football fans.”

But sometimes he has witnessed people showing them kindness too. “However, there are a fair share of delightful gestures and comments from others.  People bring them clothes and food or buy them ice cream.  That’s a breath of fresh air.”

As a result, Damanti has become an advocate for Romani rights, and will be talking about the issue at an event organised by Madrid For Refugees.

“Originally I got involved simply to take an interesting photograph but it has taken on a life of its own. I expected to photograph the people in Sol, but I did not expect to like them so much.   So I'd like to help them if I can… be that bringing awareness to their marginalized existance or just bringing them clothes. But most importantly, treating them as friends and giving them the same respect I would to you or anyone else.”

To see more of Michael Damanti's photographs visit his website and for tickets for the Madrid For Refugees event on Saturday February 22 click HERE.

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