France's government is embroiled in a
row over the repatriation of a Kosovo Roma schoolgirl, who was removed from her
school bus.
The 15-year-old, Leonarda Dibrani, was expelled along with her parents and
five siblings after they lost their battle for asylum in France.
When the order was enacted, she was on a school field trip and was removed in
view of the other children.
Leonarda told French radio she was being denied education in Kosovo.
She said she wanted to return to France to finish school.
The government is conducting an inquiry into how the case was handled.
Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told parliament that if a mistake had been
made, the family could return to France to have its situation reassessed in
respect of French "laws, practices and values".
His Interior Minister, Manuel Valls, defended the expulsion. Last month he
declared Roma people incompatible with the French way of life.
Mr Valls is voted France's favourite politician in opinion polls but he has
been strongly criticised by human rights campaigners and figures within his own
party for his strident comments.
Critics accuse President Francois Hollande's administration of following the
hard line on the Roma taken by his conservative predecessor as president,
Nicolas Sarkozy.
The new row has deepened the rift within the ruling left on how to tackle the
issue, the BBC's Christian Fraser reports from Paris.
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