BBC This World: Gypsy Child Thieves (2012)

Gypsy Child Thieves

Duration: 59 minutes

With extraordinary access to the closed world of Europe's Gypsies, as well as dramatic covert footage, This World examines how Romanian Gypsy children across the continent are forced to beg and steal, often for the profit of organised crime. The film also highlights the racism and discrimination suffered by the Romani people and efforts to integrate them into mainstream culture.
Across Europe children are being forced onto the streets to beg and steal. They come from one of the poorest communities in Europe - the Romanian Gypsy.

For centuries Gypsies have lived on the margins of society and faced brutal discrimination. Many have resorted to stealing and begging to survive. But in the last 20 years, organised crime has taken over. And since 2007, when Romania joined the EU, Gypsy children have been trafficked and exploited on a much larger scale.

In an attempt to understand what is happening to these children Romanian film-maker Liviu Tipurita embarks on a journey through Europe which takes him inside the closed world of the Gypsy community.

From Madrid to Milan to Romania, film maker Liviu Tipurita uncovers a shocking phenomenon of children trafficked to beg and steal.