There are six million gypsies in the Balkans, of which two million are Romanian. Sedentary or nomadic, the Roma uphold traditions that often struggle to be accepted. Yves Leresche photographed their daily lives.
Demonised and hunted, the Roma have experienced a long history of persecution. The most traditional among them continue to work in small trades, but the majority have struggled with unemployment since the fall of the Soviet Union. Some of them try their luck in wealthier countries, but they are generally repatriated in the end.
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Gypsy tensions magnify culture clash
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Switzerland has had a very heated summer when it comes to the traveller community. There have been large scale camps, illegal camps, property damage, criminal complaints. Shots have even been fired. French-speaking Switzerland has been particularly affected as it is a popular destination with French Roma because of the common language. The situation has become…
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To reach the site we turn off the road around a kilometre before the village of Yvonand, in canton Vaud. After going through a forest, we end up in a valley which is skirted by the A6 highway. All in all, the campground takes up about 1,000 square metres. It’s surrounded by greenery. In front…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.