PARIS, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Roma deportees paid a resettling fee by France will be fingerprinted to prevent them from re-entering the country and being paid again, officials said.
France pays deported Roma adults just over $400 when it ships them back to Romania or Bulgaria, and the French Immigration Ministry's decision to fingerprint those deported will cut down on fraud, the BBC reported.
France made more than 15,200 payments to Roma last year, paying more than $6 million, and officials suspect some expelled Roma make return trips several times just for the money.
Fingerprinting was to start Friday and the plan brought criticism from human rights groups, which already accuse the French government of targeting a minority group, the report said.