Brussels, 29/08/2011 (Agence Europe) - French Home Affairs Minister Claude Guéant highlighted the issue of “Romanian law breaking” in France, something “which has to be tackled”, he said on BFMTV/RMC, adding that “the presence of Romanian criminals in this country is a matter of concern”.
Only a few weeks ahead of the meeting of EU home affairs ministers on 23 September which is due to discuss the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area, Guéant stated that “2% of all crime in France is committed by Romanians, and almost half of the Romanian law breakers are minors”.
“Romanian criminality, which is particularly conspicuous in Paris and Marseilles is a reality and one which we will have to address”, Guéant said, stating that he had “begun work in very close cooperation with the Romanian authorities”. He said that Romanian liaison police officers were already in Paris to uncover the criminal networks and villages which specialise in this kind of criminality. (S.P./transl.rt)