Treated as outcasts when? 100 years ago?
Look,in Greece (and probably the rest of the Balkans too),the gypsies who have been assimilated,have prospered. They have have become singers,musicians etc. Not much beyond that actually,but still,honorable members of society.
The vast majority of them don't want to be assimilated. Many still live in their own "reservations",in tents. Others have houses AND tents. Many refuse to go to school or have their children educated. They put their kids to work from an early age,whether that is begging or selling roses or tissues here and there. Teenage gypsies usually form gangs and walk around like Indians who want to look cool: Shirt open at chest level,golden chain,fake sunglasses.
They are scavengers. Every day they roam the streets with trolleys and they check the garbage and recycle bins for anything they can use. You can see them,every day on every street. Women,carrying their babies in the cold or heat,opening garbage bins. There's a lot of stealing,pick-pocketing,street scams done by them too. Many of them are involved in drug trade.
The predominantly Roma areas are notorious due to gang fights and random shooting.
And the other thing: They constantly nag. Every time you're at a public service,you'll see gypsies nagging about bills,about the paperwork,they demand to be first in line or just bypass the line,they ask for welfare,they complain about everything.
That is true. They are presented as great heroes who are "bravely resisting". Basically they are presented by the West to their citizens as "kinda like us".