News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

News server Romea.cz. Everything about Roma in one place

Canada's governor general to visit Czech Romanies

22 October 2012
1 minute read

Michaelle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will visit a Romany ghetto in Brno in November, the news server Lidovky.cz writes today, connecting Jean’s visit with a growing number of Czech Romanies seeking asylum in Canada and a fear of reintroduction of visas.

Canadian representatives deny a connection between Jean’s visit and the migration of Romanies to Canada, the server writes.

Canadian diplomat Michael Calcott told the server that the governor will pay an official state visit to the Czech Republic

Jean is to visit the Museum of Roma Culture, seated in a Brno district where mostly Romanies live.

Canada re-introduced visas for Czech citizens in 1997 after lifting them for a short period, in reaction to a high number of asylum seekers from the Czech Republic, primarily Romanies.

The Czech Interior Ministry said the situation is similar now to that in 1997.

According to the latest ministerial report, the number of Czechs, mainly Romanies, seeking asylum in Canada has been rising and it reached 470 by mid-July.

However, Canadian authorities so far do not intend to re-introduce visas for Czech citizens, which were lifted last November.

Calcott said the Canadian authorities monitor the situation, but were not alarmed.

Calcott who visited Brno on Monday told the Czech news server that he arrived in the Czech Republic as something like a Jean’s scout.

Help us share the news about Romas
Trending now icon