ISSUE PAPER HUNGARY: VIEWS OF SEVERAL SOURCES ON THE SITUATION OF ROMA All the sources of information contained in this document are identified and are publicly available. RESEARCH DIRECTORATE IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE BOARD OTTAWA, CANADA 2 September 2001 i This paper was prepared by the Research Directorate of the Immigration and Refugee Board on the basis of publicly available information, analysis and comment. All sources are cited. This paper is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed or conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. For further information on current developments, please contact the Research Directorate. Research completed 25 May 2001 Additional research completed 13 September 2001 ii Table of Contents MAP ............................................................................................................................................... iv GLOSSARY.................................................................................................................................... vi 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................1 2. ETHNIC AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE ROMA MINORITY.......................................1 3. ATTITUDE OF THE POPULATION...........................................................................................3 4. OVERVIEW OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND THEIR RESULTS.....................................5 4.1 Publicization of Government Programmes..................................................................................6 4.2 Control of Spending and Results of Government Programmes....................................................7 4.3 The Medium-Term Programme and the Long-Term Strategy .....................................................8 5. SKINHEAD ATTACKS..............................................................................................................9 6. THE ROMA AND THE POLICE.................................................................................................9 6.1 Treatment of Roma by the Police..............................................................................................9 6.1.1 Discrimination ..................................................................................................................12 6.2 Police Initiatives......................................................................................................................13 7. THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND LEGAL REPRESENTATION ................................................14 8. THE SYSTEM OF MINORITY SELF-GOVERNMENTS ........................................................15 8.1 Elections.................................................................................................................................16 8.2 Relations Between Minority Self-Governments and Other State Bodies....................................17 8.2.1 Relations Between Minority Self-Governments and Local Governments.............................17 8.2.2 Relations Between the National Roma Self-Government and the Roma Local Self- Governments.............................................................................................................................18 8.3 Funding and Services Provided by the Roma Minority Self-Governments.................................18 9. EDUCATION.............................................................................................................................19 9.1 Overview ...............................................................................................................................19 9.2 Government Programmes........................................................................................................21 9.2.1 The Complementary Normative Subsidy...........................................................................22 9.2.2 Scholarships.....................................................................................................................24 9.3 Segregation and Special Schools/Classes ................................................................................24 9.4 Non-Government Programmes ...............................................................................................26 9.4.1 Hostels ............................................................................................................................27 9.4.2 Extra-Curricular Activities (Tutoring) ................................................................................27 10. EMPLOYMENT......................................................................................................................28 10.1 Unemployment.....................................................................................................................29 10.2 Government Initiatives...........................................................................................................30 10.2.1 Public Works.................................................................................................................30 iii 10.3 Private and Non-Governmental Initiatives..............................................................................31 10.4 Discrimination.......................................................................................................................31 11. HEALTH ISSUES ....................................................................................................................32 12. SOCIAL ISSUES.....................................................................................................................32 12.1 Housing................................................................................................................................33 12.1.1 Squatters .......................................................................................................................34 12.2 Infrastructures.......................................................................................................................34 12.3 Social Assistance..................................................................................................................34 12.4 Children...............................................................................................................................35 13. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS......................................................................35 13.1 Roma Community Houses.....................................................................................................36 NOTES ON SELECTED SOURCES.............................................................................................38 REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................44 iv MAP Source: Merriam - Webster's Atlas. 2001. Hungary. <http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/nytmaps.pl?hungary> [Accessed 17 Sept. 2001] v vi GLOSSARY BECMIR: Bureau for European Comparative Minority Research IOM: International Organization for Migration MSzP: Hungarian Socialist Party (Magyar Szocialista Part, opposition) NEKH: Office for National and Ethnic Minorities NEKI: Legal Defence Bureau for National and Ethnic Minorities NRSG: National Roma Self-Government PHARE: (Poland and Hungary Action for the Restructuring of the Economy): The PHARE Programme is the European Union's initiative which provides grant finance to support its partner countries to the stage where they are ready to assume the obligations of membership of the European Union. UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 1. INTRODUCTION From 15 May 2001 to 25 May 2001, the Research Directorate undertook a field mission to Hungary during which 30 interviews were conducted with a selection of Hungarian ministerial officials, representatives from local governments, Roma national and local self-governments, foreign governments, international governmental and non-governmental organizations, Roma and non-Roma non-governmental organizations, and experts. For some of them, clarifications and further information were received subsequently through correspondence. Dates in the parenthetical references distinguish the sources of information. This paper updates and should be read in conjunction with several IRB publications, including the May 2001 Issue Paper Hungary: Government Actions to Improve the Situation of Roma in 2000-2001, HUN36432.E of 11 January 2001, HUN35936.E of 17 November 2000, HUN35685.E of 6 October 2000, HUN34766.E of 8 September 2000, HUN34791.E of 28 August 2000 and HUN33946.EX of 28 February 2000, as well as information provided in 1998 and 1999, all available in the IRB Regional Documentation Centres and on the IRB Website at <www.irb.gc.ca>. The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the specialists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IRB or the Research Directorate. 2. ETHNIC AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE ROMA MINORITY Although non-Roma Hungarians regard the Roma as a homogeneous minority (Osztojkan 15 May 2001; Eros 21 May 2001), the Roma are characterized by an ethnic and social variety (Szabados 21 May 2001); for example with respect to level of education and living conditions (Kallai 24 May 2001). Despite this variety, Bela Osztojkan, a Roma writer, founder of the non-governmental organization Phralipe and vice-president of the National Roma Self-Government (NRSG), is unaware of any tensions