M50 Roma encampment
The M50 Roma encampment was an encampment of around 100 Romani people from north-west Romania who set up an encampment on a roundabout on the M50 motorway in the Ballymun district of Dublin's northside, through the summer of 2007. In July 2007, they were deported from Ireland, by order of immigration minister Conor Lenihan. Background The Romani are one of the largest ethnic minority groups in Eastern Europe, but are among the most oppressed. During the reign of Nicolae Ceaucescu, crimes against the Romani were often ignored or not reported as not to stir up racial tensions, but after the fall of Communism, there were a number of multiethnic riots in major cities over the next two decades. This lead some to seek asylum in other parts of Europe, particularly after Romania's 2007 accession to the European Union. The camp The camp was set up by a group of about 100 Romani people from the north-western Romanian village of Tileagd, in search of a better life in Ireland. They sheltered beneath tents and plastic coverings, earning very small amounts of money from passing motorists and begging in the city centre. Irish social welfare laws stipulated that to claim benefits an