French authorities have dismantled over 40 illegal Roma camps in a crackdown during the last two weeks. Most of the camps house Roma (gypsy) immigrants who come mainly from Romania and Bulgaria. The camps were torn down and the gypsies were sent back to their countires of origin in specially charted flights.

France has been strongly criticised over the move which political groups have stated that it is causing a resurgence of racial hatred and xenophobia. The move is part of wider measures by Sarkozy to crack down on crime and public order offences. France's interior minister Brice Hortefeux told a news conference in Lyon that he vowed to tear down more than 300 so called illegal camps as well as expel immigrants from other EU countries if they break the law.

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