Eighty-six percent of Roma immigrants were born outside their home countries, according to the latest EU data. Part of the reason for this difference is that many Roma communities are themselves from other parts of Europe, where their people are Christianized, less accustomed to the rituals of their native lands and more open to integrating. But perhaps the biggest problem for Roma people in their countries of origin is that the DNA of Roma people, which is predominantly Roman Catholic, has long been misused. The genetic differences between Roma and their immigrant ancestors is too great to be attributed to Christianization alone.
In 1973, when a study of the genetic composition of Roma people in Europe was conducted, it found distinct differences in a lot of Roma’s DNA, apparently primarily linked to Catholicism in their ancestors. The research made some experts believe that a significant percentage of Roma immigrants were descended from Christians. But now, some scientists are calling that the “Greek myth” that too much concern was shouldered by European scientists toward the Roma that was not warranted.
“We have realized that our understanding of our natural enemies has been overly influenced by an anthropological focus that was presumptuous,” said Kathy Yao, a geneticist at the University of Copenhagen and a member of the independent scientific committee that issued the analysis.