Daily Archives: May 17, 2015

Hungary News Americas News Eastern Europe News Western Europe

Roma Hungarian Researcher denied boarding to Toronto

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Austrian Airlines, Austrian airport officials, and the CIC (Citizenship, Immigration, and Canada) banned a Rroma researcher from Hungary to board a plane to Toronto where she was scheduled to do research on fellow Hungarian Rroma who migrated to Canada recently, this in spite of having a valid EU passport, 1’000 dollars, and a return ticket.

This seems to be a consequence of several airlines being fined by Canada following them transporting Rroma who later asked for asylum or for immigration to that country. In any case, there is a presumption of innocence, and the researcher’s rights were clearly flouted in a bout of racial profiling.

France News Western Europe

France accused by the UN of having a racist problem

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France has been slammed by a UN report on racism in France. The report, among other states that “The committee is concerned by the recrudescence of hate and xenophobic speech in certain political circles and the media which contribute to the trivialisation of racism and xenophobia”. It cites racism against Jews, Moslems, but also increasingly against Rroma with statements such as the “unbearable smell” of Rroma in public transportation, but also due to police brutality in clearing illegal camps and the breach of the rights to proper lodging when expelled from such camps.

This increase of racism towards minorities is worrisome and not worthy of a country like France. Unfortunately, in the case of Rroma, even people such as the Prime Minister are prone to racist statements – for example when he deemed that Rroma do not and cannot integrate. This has to stop.

News Americas News Western Europe

Canadian Lawyer suspended for 5 months for misconduct involving Rroma refugees

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A Canadian lawyer was suspended for 5 months for misconduct involving Rroma refugees for failing to adequately represent thousands of Rroma claimants between 2009 and 2013. In view of what this meant for these refugees, i.e. being deported back, this is a mild sentence indeed.

News Western Europe

Turkey: A Rrom in parliament

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Özcan Purçu is a candidate of the opposition Republican People’s Part (CHP) in Izmir for a parliamentary seat and stands good chance of being elected. As such, he will be only the third official Rroma representative in Europe’s parliaments. For such a large minority, not an acceptable representation. We wish him all the luck!

News Western Europe

Manchester Project aims at reducing prejudice against Rroma

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A new project in collaboration between the city of Manchester and the EU aims at reducing prejudices against Rroma as well as to break their “dependency on others”. The project coordinator is Yaron Matras, professor at the University of Manchester and a specialist of Rroma. The project aims to increase the Rroma access to public services, education and employment.

While we greet the first part and the goals, the second subtitle, the one on the dependency, leaves a bitter taste. This is definitively a paternalistic view of the world, and is ascribing an ethnic trait to what is simply a social and poverty problem.

News Eastern Europe News Switzerland Romania

Yves Leresche: Exhibition on Rroma in Lausanne

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Until May 23, Yves Leresche’s exhibition in Lausanne depicts the lives of some of the Romanian Rroma beggars who came to Switzerland. It goes between Lausanne and Romania, and shows a very humane picture of these people, far from the criminal bands prejudices.

These picture should nevertheless not lead to the belief that this is the only Rroma reality. In fact, it is the reality of a small group of Rroma from a few villages in the same Romanian region. Many Rroma are integrated, especially in Switzerland where beggars, thieves and other stereotypical Rroma only make a tiny percentage of the overall Rroma population there.

Hungary News Eastern Europe

Indian Ambassador to Hungary on Rroma

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The current Indian Ambassador to Hungary, Malay Mishra is currently studying the Rroma communities in Hungary as part of a Ph.D. he is currently registered for at Corvinius University. He is looking at parallels and at what could be learned from India in terms of integrating disadvantaged minorities.

We cannot but agree with his statement that in spite of 1’200 NGOs active in Hungary for Rroma, there seem to be precious few recipients, especially in the country side.

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