Over 100 Roma are flown to Romania

Over one hundred Roma adults and children, who had been encamped at a roundabout near Ballymun, Dublin for almost three months, were due to land at Timisoara airport in north western Romania late last night following their voluntary repatriation.

The group left Dublin airport at 6pm yesterday on a specially chartered plane, due to land in Timisoara at 10.45pm local time. They were then due to be bussed to their respective villages in the neighbouring province of Bihor.

It is understood the prefect of Bihor planned to meet them at the airport last night, along with a representative of Bihor County Directorate of Child Protection.

A spokesman for the Romanian embassy here said it was "possible" this would happen. He said the embassy's internal affairs attache, Marius Roman, would be "seeing them off at Dublin". A representative from the local Roma support NGO, Parudimos, as well as another from a local Catholic NGO, Ruhama, were also planning to be there to meet them.

The last three of the group - three men including Maran and Pitu Rostas - were picked up by gardaí shortly after 1.30pm yesterday at the M50 roundabout near Ballymun and taken to Balseskin reception centre near the airport to join the other 100 or so.

About 70 had left voluntarily with gardaí on Tuesday morning, followed by the remaining 30 who left after noon yesterday.

The last three men had returned to the two camps - from the city centre, they said - having heard the others had decided to leave. They arrived on foot at about 1.15pm and made their way quickly into one of the abandoned camps and gathered a few belongings.

Carol Attlat of the Roma Support Group, who had arrived about 30 minutes earlier, went with them into the camp during which time a frantic exchange in loud Romanian took place. The three then left swiftly on foot at which point a Garda van pulled up nearby.

Two gardaí and a female interpreter got out and the three men were ushered to the van. Mr Attlat and Michael Collins, a voluntary worker with the Traveller support group Pavee Point pursued them.

A brief conversation took place between Mr Collins and the three Roma men who were now sitting in the van. When asked what the conversation had been about in the camp Mr Attlat said: "They were very upset, very angry. They don't want to go."

Colin Thomson, programme manager with Crosscare, the Dublin Catholic archdioceses social care agency, told The Irish Times he had arrived as usual earlier yesterday with a bus to take the group to the city centre for food at about noon. He had found gardaí there, "and some sort of negotiation was going on".

"It seemed the head of the family was making his mind up whether it was time to go. Then some began bringing bags and possessions to the Garda transport." Both Mr Thomson and Sara Russell of Pavee Point said the departure had been "voluntary and conducted in a very professional manner by gardaí".

Mr Attlat, however, questioned how voluntary the decision to leave had been. "I believe there was pressure from the Romanian government to get them back because they want to hide the bad aspects of Romania, the poverty of the people."

Mr Collins, too said they had been "determined to stay". A Garda spokesman strongly denied there had been any pressure on the group and said they had been made aware of their rights at all times.