Epress.am News from Armenia
France is to begin deporting Roma (Gypsies) as part of a crackdown on illegal camps in the country, reports BBC News.
The 79 Roma who agreed to return home voluntarily will be given 300 euros (about $383) and flown back to Romania.
Some 700 Roma will be flown out of France by the end of August, in a move which has been sharply criticised by rights groups.
Romania has also expressed concern over the operation, saying it could lead to a rise in xenophobic sentiment.
The French government says it plans to shut down 300 illegal Roma camps in the next three months.
The controversial plan, backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy, was put in place after clashes last month between travellers and police in the southern city of Grenoble.
The government says the camps are “sources of illegal trafficking, of profoundly shocking living standards, of exploitation of children for begging, of prostitution and crime”.
Some 51 camps have already been demolished by police, the residents moving into temporary shelters or accommodation.
The operation has been condemned by human rights groups, who say it is deliberately stigmatising a generally law-abiding section of society to win support among right-wing voters.
Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi said on Wednesday that he was concerned about the possible social implications of the crackdown.
“I am worried about the risks of populism and xenophobic reactions in a context of economic crisis,” he told Radio France International.