PARIS, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The European Union will investigate claims France is illegally deporting a group of immigrant Roma -- gypsies -- back to Romania, an official says.
Meanwhile, officials from France and Romania were meeting this week to discuss issues involving France's deportation of the Roma, Euronews.net reported Thursday.
More than 8,000 Roma have been sent back to Romania and Bulgaria so for this year and another 300 were to be returned within a few days, the report said.
France claims the Roma are returning voluntarily, and it pays each adult that agrees to leave just under $400 in relocation fees; those that don't agree to leave voluntarily will be ordered to leave within 30 days and won't get the repatriation money.
Critics claim the deportations violate European Union laws and ethics, and might cause the group to be discriminated against, France 24 said.
Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Justice, said she would investigate whether France's policy violates EU's basic values.
Reding said France's actions had increased anti-Roma rhetoric, which could lead to persecution, France 24 said.
French Immigration Minister Eric Beeson was involved in meetings this week with Romanian authorities and said the talks were amicable.
"I didn't hear the slightest grievance," Beeson said.