The situation of the Roma in Hungary is indisputable very difficult and the
reasons to leave the country are obvious. The discrimination of Roma takes place
very publicly. This month there was a demonstration against the governing party
because of anti-Romani commentaries. And also the living standards do not
fulfill human right standards. But why do they choose Canada? A flight to Canada
is about 1000 $ so it is very difficult for the Roma to get there, in fact they
have to sell everything they own and that is not a lot.
So why do they choose Canada?
There is a long tradition of prejudices against Roma in the European history.
During the Holocaust approximately 500.000 Sinti and Roma were executed. But it
is not just a problem of the past. The discrimination goes on, not just in
Hungary but in almost every other European country. That is why they decide to
go to Canada with the hope to have a better future there (cbc).
Because of the long history of prejudices in Europe Australia, the US and
Canada become attractive destinations for Roma. Australia is even further and
more expensive then Canada in terms of flight tickets and the US require pre-approval
from the Department of Homeland Security for travelers who fly without a visa,
so this leaves Canada as the most favorable destination (thestar).
Why now?
It started in 2009 when Canada lifted the visa requirement for Hungarian
citizens. Canada and the European Union are discussing a free-trade agreement,
which would on the other side include a visa program for Hungary (thestar). The
immigration minister Jason Kenney pointed out that more refugees are coming from
Europe than from Asia and Africa (the
guardian). The problem for the Roma, who come to Canada to apply for asylum,
is that as Hungary is part of the European Union it counts as a safe country,
which means on the one side that they can enter freely but on the other side
they are not qualified for asylum.
But they are not welcome in Canada either
The immigration minister Jason Kenney said that the Roma just travel to
Canada to exploit social programs and if they are done taking advantage they
would return to Hungary (thestar).
He wants to shorten the period in which they have to file a personal
information form in which they outline their claim from 30 days to only 15 days.
This is impossible as they need medical and police reports from their country of
origin and this alone takes six weeks and one need to keep in mind that the
Hungarian government is not that co-operative with Roma, as ‘they give their
country a bad name’. The hearing should also be within 30 days instead of the
several months they now have.
Human-rights lawyers say that Kenney proposed those changes to react to
recent high-profile criminal cases, which tarnished the reputation of the 40,000
Roma, who now live in Canada.
A law teacher from the University of Ottawa, Mr. Showler, said that an
applicant for refugee is just seen as persecuted if he/she is “unable or
unwilling to return due to a well-founded fear of persecution. The fear part is
subjective and the well-founded part is objective. In other words, your fear may
be genuine but there needs to be some objective basis.” (thestar).
The process is not very clear and leaves a lot of space for disapproval and also
for discrimination of the Roma.
Looking at it from a unique perspective
Gina Csanyi-Robah was
writing about her unique position in this debate. She had an internship in
the ERRC (European Roma Rights Center) in 2006. Already back then the
discussions, if Canada can and should offer the Roma from Hungary asylum, were
taking place. In the framework of her internship, Mrs. Csanyi-Robah was
attending a roundtable discussion, which was hosted by the Canadian government
and former Canadian ambassador. The purpose was to assess the social situation
of Roma in Hungary.
Mrs. Csanyi-Robah had a very unique position in this discussion because she
was the only Canadian-born, Hungarian Roma. They showed the horrible living
conditions for Roma in Hungary and the deeply embedded systematic discrimination
that does qualify them as asylum-seekers. The Canadian ambassador Robert Huge
understood the urgent need for Hungarian Roma to flee from the country but still
it took three more years and more pressure from the European Union before the
Canadian government removed the visa requirements for Hungary.
In 2010 Mrs. Csanyi-Robah became the executive director of Canada’s sole Roma
organization, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. She also met a few
times with the immigration minister Jason Kenney to give him first-hand
information about the situation of Hungarian Roma which is getting worse every
year especially after the foundation of the Jobbik party. The Jobbik party has
clearly modeled themselves on Hitler’s Nazi Party and is posing direct threats
to the Roma in Hungary.
Furthermore Mrs. Csanyi-Robah testified, together with refugee lawyer Maureen
Silcoff, to the federal government. They were speaking with the parliamentary
committee on immigration and citizenship. The concern was regarding the Bill
C-31, now called Protecting Canada’s Immigration and Refugee System Act. But
Kenney did not reconsider the creation of a safe countries list, so all they’re
efforts were without a positive outcome.
But still Gina Csanyi-Robah will not give up. She made her way to the chief
spokesperson of the Canadian Roma community and she is also the executive
director of the Toronto Roma Community Centre. Mrs. Csanyi-Robah will not stop
to fight for the Hungarian Roma to be qualified as asylum-seekers.
The Canadian government is provided with necessary information and cannot
claim that they do not know about the horrifying situation of Roma in Hungary.
It is time for them to react and not hide behind the excuse that the Roma just
want to immigrate to abuse the Canadian welfare system.
