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Canada advises Romani people to stay home in Hungary

22 January 2013
2 minute read

Czech Radio reports that the Canadian Embassy to Hungary is urging Romani people not to attempt an overseas move. Since this past weekend, the embassy has been conducting a campaign in the poorest of Hungary’s regions, specifically in the town of Miskolc, which has the country’s highest population of Romani residents. Canada has tightened its immigration laws and has reduced the opportunity for people to receive asylum there.

Some Romani people who attempted to move overseas at the end of last year are already back in Hungary. Ferenc Steffán of northeastern Borsod County admits his family left for a better future in Canada but were unable to stay because their asylum request was rejected. The family returned just last weekend after moving to Canada in December and spending Christmas there. Hungarian media have frequently reported on such cases recently.

The Canadian authorities have abandoned their earlier practices and are now sending immigrants home after just a few weeks. They are also no longer providing new immigrants with social support.

In the town of Miskolc, large and small-scale posters featuring communications from the Canadian Government have appeared on residential buildings and along walkways warning potential emigrants that the laws on asylum in Canada have changed. Should Canada believe immigrants are making unjustified asylum claims, they will be deported and sent home much more rapidly than before thanks to a shortened procedure for citizens from so-called safe countries, one of which is Hungary.

"Is this only about Miskolc?"

Mayor of Miskolc Ákos Kriza is outraged by this way the embassy is proceeding and has protested against the campaign being focused solely on his town as if Romani people were fleeing to Canada only from there. He has written in protest to the Canadian Embassy and the Hungarian Government.

A larger-scale exodus of Romani people from Hungary to Canada began in 1998. The first phase of the migration lasted until visas were reimposed in 2001. Ever since then the number of emigrés has fallen significantly, but a new wave of emigrants arose after visas were lifted in May 2008.

A total of 19 000 asylum seekers from Hungary have registered in Canada.

Hungary now heads the list of countries of origin for asylum-seekers in Canada, ahead of China and Namibia. A spokesperson for the Hungarian Government, András Giró-Szász, pointed out that Canada considers Hungary a safe country.

For the time being there has not been much discussion of the problems associated with a massive return of Romani people to Hungary. Prior to leaving for Canada such people often sell everything they own.

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