Category Archives: Ukraine

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine and Roma

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A tender announcement for the purchase of services of local trainers in the field of anti-discrimination, as well as protection of the rights of national minorities (communities) and Roma in Ukraine was issued.

The tender was announced within the framework of the Council of Europe projects “Supporting the reform of the legislative framework regarding national minorities and strengthening the stability of national minorities and Roma in Ukraine” and “Supporting the implementation of European standards on combating discrimination and the rights of national minorities in Ukraine”, which are implemented as part of the Council’s Action Plan of Europe for Ukraine “Resilience, recovery and reconstruction” 2023-2026.

News Eastern Europe Poland Ukraine

Roma in the Ukraine

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An interview with Anzhelika Belova from Zaporozhye, now lives in Uzhgorod with her husband and daughter; activist, president of the Voice of Romni organization. She says that nobody should be ashamed of being Roma. We live in Ukraine and we are Ukrainians.

News Eastern Europe News Switzerland Ukraine

Switzerland and Roma Refugees

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As usual with some delays, a 1-1 translation of an article published last week in the Tages Anzeiger about Roma refugees from the Ukraine and the suspicions that they are not quite what they claim to be.

This of course without a shred of any evidence…

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine on the Transcarpathian Roma Refugees

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Another article, this time in the Ukrainian press about the fact that there are more and more Roma refugees from Transcarpathian Ukraine arriving in Germany (and Switzerland), especially from the region of Berehove very close to the Hungarian border. Here they say these refugees hide their dual citizenship (i.e. the fact that they also have a Hungarian passport).

While Hungarian speakers can get a Hungarian passport (thanks to the current Prime Minister Viktor Orban), in order to do so, they need to read and write, which is generally not the case there (thanks to the total disregard of those Roma from the Ukrainian authorities). In fact, if citizen of the Ukraine do not speak Ukrainian because they live in remote settlements, it is actually the fault of the Ukrainian government.

  • У Німеччині виявляють все більше біженців з угорськими паспортами із Закарпаття, а саме з Берегова. In: Mukachevo.net. 16.02.2024. http://www.mukachevo.net/ua/news/view/6041721
News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Transcarpathian Ukraine: Census

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In 2024, a census of the Roma population is planned in Zakarpattia Oblast. These complete and up-to-date statistical data will help ensure more effective social and legal protection and integration of Roma.

Well, we know how it works: Integrated Roma will not declare themselves as such, probably opting to say they are Hungarians, and poor people will be declared to be Roma. The result will be as usual wrong numbers.

  • На Закарпатті проведуть перепис ромського населення. In: Golos Ukraini. 16.02.2024. http://www.golos.com.ua/news/196326
  • Яка їх реальна чисельність: на Закарпатті планують провести перепис ромського населення. In: Golos Karpat. 15.02.2024. https://goloskarpat.info/power/65ce816c9bdee/
News Eastern Europe News Switzerland Ukraine

Switzerland and Roma Refugees – 2

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To counterbalance the accusations that Roma refugees from Ukraine abuse the system and are actually not Ukrainians, we did an interview in one of the leading newspapers in German speaking Swiss press.

News Eastern Europe News Switzerland Ukraine

Switzerland and Roma

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Another two articles in the Swiss press about Roma refugees from the Ukraine who “abuse” the system and are “most probably” not from the Ukraine. All because the Swiss seem to be oblivious that Western Ukraine is Hungarian speaking …

News Eastern Europe News Switzerland Ukraine

Switzerland and Ukrainian Roma Refugees

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In Switzerland, there is currently an influx of Roma refugees from the Ukraine, mostly from the Transcarpathian region. We have seen many cases, and they unfortunately come from segregated settlements, often as large families (8 children etc.). They mostly speak only Hungarian and a limited amount of Ukrainian, and seldom Romanes.

The article in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung is totally unacceptable. They effectively say they are not really Ukrainian, without any proof, and even put up a picture of Uzhgorod, maybe part of Greater Hungary for the editors of this paper. They insinuate that they have all Hungarian passports, which could be the case, as Hungarian speakers from outside Hungary have been granted passports by Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister. However, one of the pre-requisite is to be able to read and write (and not to be Roma), which does not apply in most of the cases here in Switzerland.

In addition, these Roma, even though they are not fluent, speak Russian and Ukrainian. Which cannot be said of Hungarians.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

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On February 6, a new Roma-led community center (“Roma Integration Space”) was officially opened in Mukachevo, Zakarpattia Oblast, after which another such community center will be opened in Berehove, Zakarpattia Oblast. UNHCR and its local partner NEEKA supported the reconstruction of the buildings and the renovation of the premises of these two centers.

The spaces will work as multifunctional centers to support Roma communities, primarily Roma women and girls, and will complement the national Roma strategy of the Government of Ukraine. Based on the experience and lessons learned from a similar Roma integration space, which has been under the care of the UNHCR and its partner NGO Nehemiah in Uzhgorod since 2022, a wide range of measures aimed at strengthening the access of Roma communities to rights and services, strengthening their potential and integration into local communities.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine and a Murder

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A riot in Transcarpathian Ukraine a few days ago was started by Roma to protest the release of murder suspects. Now the Court decided to still keep other suspect in this murder that occurred during a fight on November 27th of last year in custody.

  • Учасників масової бійки в Підвиноградові знову затримають: триває розслідування резонансної справи (ФОТО). In: Golos Karpat. 30.01.2024. https://goloskarpat.info/criminal/65b8c2e63a298/
News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine on Minorities and Foreigners

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A newly released statistic shows that the Ukrainians are definitively no longer Russian friendly. They are at the bottom of the list of people they willing to deal with. They are even less popular than Africans and Roma…

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine: Shattered Dreams

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The story of a Romano ethnographer and researcher, Janusz Panchenko from Kakhovka, the initiator of the creation of a Roma space in Kakhovka. Before the full-scale invasion, Janusz was writing a dissertation, documenting the memories of elderly Holocaust survivors, and teaching at a school for Roma children.

Even though he was pro-Ukrainian, he remained in the occupied territories. Until the Russian started looking at NGOs.

Sad.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine, the Holocaust, and Roma

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A long article on the Genocide of the Roma in the Ukraine and the parallels to the Jewish Holocaust in the Ukraine with a presentation by a German researcher of work done with and by Ukrainian researchers who, for the most part are currently on the front.

Other articles are on the commemorations of the 27th of January.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine: Riots

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Several article in the Ukrainian press about Roma rioting in Transcarpathia Ukraine following the release of two murder suspects from custody. The murder occurred during elections of Roma representatives.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Kalderaša Kitsch

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An article on photographs of rich Kalderaša in Transcarpathian Ukraine shows the extent of the kitsch and unfortunately reinforces stereotypes.

News Eastern Europe Poland Ukraine

Ukrainian Roma Refugees

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Natalia Yuzypchuk, a Ukrainian Romni, fled to Warsaw from Lutsk, Ukraine, seeking safety for her grandchildren. A year and a half later, Natalia is the driving force behind the Roma Community Centre in Warsaw, run by the W Stroną Dialogu Foundation and supported by UNICEF.

Since the first months of the war, the situation of Roma refugees has been much worse than that of other groups of refugees from Ukraine. Roma refugee families face many barriers in accessing basic services due to administrative obstacles and lack of documents. This leads to bigger obstacles, including: in access to financial support, health care, education, housing and the labour market. Many people also tell us that they have faced overt discrimination as a result of prejudice and stereotypes.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Roma Refugees from the Ukraine

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For the International Day of Migrants, Radio Liberty presented a documentary project “In the eyes of God we are all people” – a film about Roma refugees who found refuge from the war in Moldova, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Czech Republic – Sentences

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A Czech Court sentenced two Roma who took part in a mass fight in Pardubice between Roma and Ukrainians at the beginning of this year’s holidays to 150 and 200 hours of community service. The Ukrainian suspect is not yet sentenced but risks up to two years of prison.

News Eastern Europe Russia Ukraine

Russia, Mobilisation, and Roma

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Russia has long been recruiting prisoners, criminals and its own ethnic minorities from different regions into the war against Ukraine. Now they have begun to “engage” other categories of the population – Roma and migrants.

For example, on December 12, in the Leningrad region, 30 to 50 Roma were taken to military registration and enlistment offices. The head of the Sitting Rus’ charity foundation, Olga Romanova, told Channel 24 about this, noting that they would subsequently be sent to the front.

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