Oslo police and the state agency in charge of enforcing court orders (Namsfogden) helped state property owner Statsbygg dismantle a disputed Roma camp this week at the popular public recreational area at Sognsvann. An appeals court had ordered its removal, agreeing with Statsbygg that it’s illegal to camp in such areas for more than two nights in a row.
A support group for the Roma folk told news bureau NTB that they plan to appeal the eviction to Norway’s Supreme Court, but the court order is now enforceable and the campers left voluntarily. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported that only one man protested, but he also ended up leaving the area.
Now Statsbygg is face with a major clean-up project at Sognsvann, which has been the site of Roma camps for many months. Some of the Roma have said they now plan to leave Norway, where they’ve been begging on streets all over the country, and travel home as winter sets in.
newsinenglish.no staff
