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Some 400 Roma ethnics are expected to return to Romania from France in a month, after French President Nicolas Sarkozy ordered late last month to expel all illegal Roma immigrants, almost all of whom came from Eastern Europe.

The marching order came in the wake of clashes between Gypsies and French police triggered by the shooting death of a youth who was trying to flee officers in the Loire Valley. Sarkozy vowed to severely punish those responsible.

Romanian Roma people coming from France are pictured as they arrive at the Baneasa airport in Bucharest August 19, 2010. [Xinhua]

As Romania is an EU member, its citizens can enter France without a visa, but they have to obtain work permits or residency permits to work or stay there long.

"These are voluntary returns," said Valentin Mocanu, Romania's Secretary of State for Social Protection, who was also at the Aurel Vlaicu airport.

According to the French immigration authorities, the French government would offer a plane ticket and 300 euros (384 U.S. dollars) to every adult who agreed to leave France. For a child, the sum would be 100 euros (128 dollars).

"The repatriation is a black spot both in the French history and Romanian history," said Daniel Vasile, vice president of the Roma Party, dubbing the French move an "act of discrimination."

"The free consent has been obtained in exchange of 300 euros, therefore the Roma people have been subject to a psychological pressure," he added.

Commenting on the acknowledgement by many returnees that they practiced begging in France, the Roma Party representative, who is also a lawyer, replied that "begging is not a reason to repatriate people."

There is no legal ground to consider begging, without a case in court, to be the reason of repatriation," he said.

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