The Romanian thing over here is complicated, but ties in to anti-gypsy feelings and the right-wing press (Daily Hate Mail in the main) running any story they can find about Romanian criminal behaviour, especially if the perpetrator was Romani (or can be implied to be).

Also as a nation we are idiots and a lot of people don't actually understand that Romani and Romanian are two different things (though obviously sometimes overlapping).

(Explanation being added for sovay's benefit.)