Gypsies in Rome, Italy?

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Cycwynner

Before the Balkan Civil War in the Nineties the Gypsy population in Italy was a more or less normal minority, with it’s positive and negative aspects. After this tragic war, the Balkan Romanys, who had sided with the Serbs, fled ex Jugoslavia and found sanctuary in Italy. In their previous habitat, mostly thanks to the Muslim tradition of giving alms to the poor, they had specialised in “Begging”, some of them fine tuning deformities, child and infant manipulation. In Italy, especially in Rome, they came upon an initially clement treatment; the previous Lord Mayor even went so far as to legalise begging. The Balkan Romany were then joined by the Rumanian ones and the "Rom" simply swamped Rome. This rapidly spun out of hand, a number of baby gangs developed and there were even cases of children being wilfully deformed in order enhance pity. The new Lord Mayor’s electorate ticket was based on Security, Law and Order and he promised to “clean up” the entire city, with it’s over 80 “nomad camps” (positioned in the outlying countryside). This he will do in cooperation with the Provincial Governor. The idea is to discourage street begging (already started), re allocate the refugees (that is really what they are) into fixed dwellings, teach them new, real trades and wean them away from the life of begging and petty crime they have always led. Italy, as the rest of the EU, who gave them a safe haven, goes so far as to pay each family a monthly allowance, so money is not the problem; it really comes down to a cultural change. In the last weeks of the Old Mayor and since the new one arrived the streets have been more or less cleaned up and the real job of educating them has started.
As a tourist, never, but never take money out to give a beggar, chances are they will steal your purse – it’s their age old custom. Don’t be taken in by children; a 12 year old girl was arrested and released 84 times for thieving. Ignore apparent “cripples”, most are self inflicted; if they are genuine they have a generous refugee allowance. We, the settled community, must help them to help themselves and the only way is “abstinence”.
Have a nice stay, Rome is a glorious town, been living here over 25 years.

ps although my contribution has met with a number of thumbs down, take my word for it, Nat.Sec. is one of my trades, and as a journalist I have to be objective. I know what I'm talking about and I don't twiddle around with half baked opinions.

Carl R

Yes, there are gypsies in Rome. Most of them are simple beggars around churches, subway, colliseum etc. All women and not pushy. Their gig is sympathy, ie; praying, limping, and so forth.
However, the public transportation or any crowded area is like any other city in the world and the usual hooligans will try to pickpocket people.........They are not violent but they are very good. I was there for a month and the only problem we had was 2 teenage girls trying to get into my wife's pockets.
She fended them off and a passerby shooed them away.
This was in a crowded flea market........We`warned some friends about this before their trip.......Hubby had his wallet stolen on a crowded bus, anyway!.........They got his wallet out of his FRONT pocket without him knowing it!
He said bus was packed like sardines and with all the josteling he never noticed them doing it....No violence and not an everyday occurance but always be aware in crowded areas. You're going to have a ball there, it's awesome!

Hello Hello =D

there are gypsies around rome, but you just have to be careful.

take a bag that you can keep close to you such as one with a long strap that you can swing to the front of you, hold bags under your arm with BOTH HANDS and if you have a backpack, it will look lame but wear it on your stomach.

if people come up to you with a cup to beg with, or anything that might convince you to take out your wallet...

THIS MAY BE A GYPSIE'S EVIL PLAN! lol.

they have accomplices....who watch and wait for you to take out your wallet then
BAM!
it's gone.

just be really careful with your stuff, keep it close to you and not in back pockets, when you have your wallet out sort your money out quickly and don't wave your money or wallet around.

if you just take care you'll be fine. :)

нσвσ

Most of the tourists in Rome are victim of "normal" people, not different by any other Italian there. The most usual crime against tourists is swindle: fake taxi-drivers asking lots of money, abusive guides or dealers, etc.
There are also plenty of pickpockets in crowded places, and again, it's unlikely they are gypsies and much more probable they are well-dressed glamorous Italians.
Even if gypsies in Italy live in a sort of apartheid condition and are often forced to steal to survive, they are usually too recognizable to be as effective as other stealers. So, forget the gypsies and watch out the "normal" people.

curlyq630

You'll be fine as long as you make sure you keep your bag/ purse close to you. Fanny packs are dorky but best =]

Hope I Can Help

Gypsies live in the country side of Italy, very rarely visited by tourists not in Rome. Rome is one of the most visited cities in the world an is very visitor friendly, if you are going with a tour group you will have no trouble at all, otherwise stick to the well know areas just to be sure.

Have Fun!

L L

Yes there are many gypsies in Rome, but if you use common sense like you would in any main city, anywhere in the world you will be fine. Just don't carry all yourcash and credit cards on you, keep your bag close to your body and be careful on public transport. I live in Rome and have never had an issue - only the stupid tourists who walk around with their back packs open, or wallets in their back pockets get robbed.

Amanda Overmeyer-Janis of today!

Dude, gypsies are wonderful. They can see the future, I tell you...of course, they can also take your children...but most are rich and cool. There are plenty of them in Ukraine, and I think that their clothes are gorgeous.

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