France is to begin deporting¹ Roma (Gypsies) as part of a crackdown on illegal camps in the country.

作为对非法聚居地进行镇压行动的一部分，法国开始驱赶境内的罗姆人（吉普赛人）。

Critics say the evictions could lead to a rise in xenophobia among the French public

The 79 Roma who agreed to return home voluntarily will be given 300 euros ($383; £246) and flown back to Romania.

Some 700 Roma will be flown out of France by the end of August, in a move which has been sharply criticised by rights groups.

Romania has also expressed concern over the operation, saying it could lead to a rise in xenophobic（恐惧外国人的） sentiment（感情，情绪） .

The French government says it plans to shut down 300 illegal Roma camps in the next three months.

The controversial plan, backed by President Nicolas Sarkozy, was put in place after clashes last month between travellers and police in the southern city of Grenoble.

The government says the camps are "sources of illegal trafficking, of profoundly shocking living standards, of exploitation（开发，开采） of children for begging, of prostitution and crime".

'Xenophobic reactions'

Some 51 camps have already been demolished² by police, the residents moving into temporary shelters or accommodation（住处，膳宿） .

The operation has been condemned³ by human rights groups, who say it is deliberately⁴ stigmatising（使蒙上污名） a generally law-abiding section of society to win support among right-wing voters.

Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi said on Wednesday that he was concerned about the possible social implications of the crackdown.

"I am worried about the risks of populism（民粹主义，平民主义） and xenophobic reactions in a context of economic crisis," he told Radio France International.

Mr Baconschi joined EU officials in saying he hoped all the expulsions（驱逐，开除） had been carried out legally.

But France has insisted that the demolitions⁵ and expulsions "fully⁶ conform with European rules and do not in any way affect the freedom of movement for EU citizens, as defined by treaties"

Foreign ministry⁷ spokesman Bernard Valero told the AFP news agency that an EU directive "expressly allows for restrictions⁸ on the right to move freely for reasons of public order, public security and public health".

Mr Sarkozy's opponents have accused him of using the Roma issue to shift public attention focus away from corruption⁹ on to crime.

The BBC's Christian¹⁰ Fraser in Paris says that with the president's poll rating sagging¹¹, there are some who accuse him of using the recent unrest to boost his own popularity.

There are hundreds of thousands of Roma or travelling people living in France who are part of long-established communities.

The other main Roma population is made up of recent immigrants, mainly from Romania and Bulgaria. They have the right to enter France without a visa, but must have work or residency permits to settle over the long term.