An article about Roma refugees from the Ukraine in the Czech Republic. The article cites roughly 500 Roma, mostly women with small children, and mostly from Western Ukraine – the region around Uzhgorod.
Main problem, the language barrier.
No words …
Research from Romea in the Czech Republic confirmed by local Roma NGOs and our own research on the web, show that photographs from Lviv, Ukraine, on which Roma are strapped to columns and sticky on their faces, are which are spreading on social networks have a somewhat different background. The photos allege that they are refugees from Kiev who were attacked without delay by local Ukrainians immediately upon arrival. However, as the Romea.cz news server found out, the context of the photos is somewhat different. This is allegedly a group of pickpockets who were arrested in this unacceptable way while stealing. Russian propaganda uses photographs disseminated in a different context to confirm the presence of neo-Nazis in Ukraine.
Another article with more details about the roughly 500 Roma refugees from the Ukraine who made it to the Czech Republic.
Many Roma in the Ukraine have no official papers, not even a birth certificate. This is clearly more prevalent in the countryside and in the Southwestern part of the country, although the number of Roma without papers is difficult to assess. Now, as refugees from the War, they are doubly discriminated.
The picture of Roma bound to posts made it though the social media, amplified by Russia, alleging this was outright discrimination. As usual, reality is more circumstantiated, as these Roma were caught stealing (see also below the article in Romea). Nevertheless, self-justice, and especially of this kind is not acceptable.
This Ukrainian article strongly condemn this act, and effectively says this plays in the hand of the Russians in their attempt to portray all Ukrainians as Nazis.
The City of Freiburg is organising help for refugees from the Ukraine, also for Roma.
Two articles in the French Press on refugees from the Ukraine. In Budapest and in Warsaw. In Budapest, Roma have been sent to a vagrant shelter, and in Warsaw, they struggle to find lodgings.
Right after the outbreak of the war, two Roma women and eight children came. The oldest crossed the border barefoot. They have not been registered. It is not known what happened to them. They disappeared – says Dr. Joanna Talewicz-Kwiatkowska, who has been supporting the Roma community for two decades, president of the Foundation for the Website of Dialogue and co-founder of the Poland-Roma-Ukraine group on Facebook.
An article about “Ukrainian” (sic.!) refugees complaining being housed in a gym and who are allegedly Roma, not necessarily from the Ukraine.
If you write such articles, you should (a) know what you are talking about and (b) not make allegations that can neither be proved nor disproved. If the refugees had a Ukrainian ID, they are from the Ukraine. If they are not, it is also pretty easy to know, as they will not speak Ukrainian or Russian.
Crap journalism.
An essay on Roma in Ukraine. With unfortunately several inexact facts (Slavery did not exist in Ukraine at all) and some generalisation ignoring the differences between Roma groups.
A convoy of buses is driving towards the Polish Ukrainian border with the aim of bringing back 170 refugees.
Dr. Hanna Machińska, Polsih deputy Ombudsman declared in an interview that Poland is applying double standards concerning refugees. Better not be coloured or Rom…
Bad.
We organised yesterday the transfer of 11 Roma from the Odessa region to Lithuania where they have relatives.
Rroma Foundation/Rroma Contact Point
Well, no surprise, unfortunately. They face discrimination. No surprise because the attitudes of the countries to where they flee are negative towards Roma.
Bad.
A discussion with Romnja refugees from the Ukraine in Slovakia.
Better not be Rom or African at the Ukrainian Slovak border. Bus drivers there refused Roma, even forbade them the use of toilets, and many of them were left for days at the border.
Bad.
Some places we visited in Poland with Roma refugees.
Waplewo: 85 Roma, out of which 46 children. From Lutsk, Ukraine.
Krzyżowice: 12 Roma of which 6 children. From Odessa. They want to go to Lithuania where they have relatives.
Wasilków: 102 Roma out of which 56 children. From Wolynië.
Currently no help from the Polish state.
Not surprising, unfortunately.
Officially, anyone from the Ukraine is welcome in the EU. Well, unless you are Rom or are amongst the foreigners who are in Ukraine, many of them from Africa ort the Middle East.
Bad.
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