We are not a Halloween costume nor “bogus” refugees

Canadian Museum for Human Rights | By Gina Csanyi-Robah with Shayna Plaut, Ph. D.
Published: April 7, 2025

Most Canadians know the Romani people as “Gypsies,” mythical wanderers of the earth, travelling free spirits who shun both work and education. But for millions of Roma around the globe, discrimination, exclusion and persecution of their communities and culture has been anything but a myth [...]

Chad Evans Wyatt and Mary Evelyn Porter

Consider the visual grammar of the "Gypsy" photograph. Exoticism, and "otherness" separating these people from their majority context. In the words of Czech Professor Miroslav Vojtĕchovský, these images are a theatre of grotesque characters, irreconcilably different, without redemption. Garish colour can further isolation.

RomaRising offers respectful black and white images of dignity, countering stereotype. Many among these souls are highly educated, and have capacity to function as government ministers and lead within society. Indeed, Mr. Ciprian Necula became State Secretary in the Ministry of European Union Funds, representing the Romanian Government. He is not unique [...]

JoEllen Brydon Art
In 2006 I came upon a story based on an ethnic community history, about a “band of Gypsies” who arrived in Peterborough, Ontario in 1909 causing quite a stir. Guided by Professor Keith Walden, from the history department of Trent University, I developed an academic reading course to facilitate my research and examine Romani history and culture. I referenced the photographic images of the visit in the Bailsille Collection at the Peterborough Centennial Museum and Archives, as well as the extensive news coverage. I talked to people about their memories of “Gypsies”, and consulted throughout with Ronald Lee, Romani scholar, activist and natural born Roma [...]

Gina Csanyi-Robah, Vancouver educator and executive director of the Canadian Romani Alliance, will speak at SFU on March 19th to shed light on the ongoing struggle against anti-Gypsy discrimination in Canada. This event commemorates the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21st) [...]

COLUMBIA LAW REVIEW | May 2010 | Jack Greenberg

For much of their histories, the Roma in Eastern Europe and African Americans traversed similar paths. Both endured centuries of slavery and were emancipated, almost simultaneously, during the mid-nineteenth century. Both continued to suffer years of discrimination, poverty, inferior housing, deficient health, and segregated education [...]

Watch Live to Air: Oscar Peterson Day 2024 with Jim Doxas, Robi Botos & Pat Collins [...]

BOSTON, MA – September 23, 2024 

The François-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University and the Canadian Romani Alliance published a groundbreaking study measuring both major and everyday discrimination experienced by Romani individuals in the Greater Toronto-Hamilton area (GTHA) in Canada [...]  

If you are Romani we invite you to talk to us! If you live in Toronto or Hamilton and are Romani please connect with us. The interviews will be done on the phone, online, or in person. Interviews are 45 min long. You don’t have to use your real name. You will receive a $25 gift card to say thank you! […]

The Canadian Romani Alliance is delighted to share that we are beginning an exciting new community partnership with Harvard University. The goal is to research and document discrimination experienced by Roma in Canada[...]

Announcement: New funding received by York University’s Refugee Law Lab to work with Air Passenger Rights and University of New Brunswick law professor to investigate racial profiling by Canadian government at airports abroad […]

Jagmeet Singh, Leader of Canada’s NDP, issued the following statement:

"On this day in 1944, during World War II, all the 2897 Roma and Sinti who remained imprisoned […]

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, today issued the following statement:

“On this Romani Genocide Remembrance Day, we honour the memory of over 500,000 Romani […]

Kenney was Canada's minister of citizenship, immigration and culture at the time. He was involved in an effort, highly controversial in this country, to make it difficult for Roma people who suffered discrimination and worse from right-wingers in Hungary to immigrate to Canada […]

Send a 1-click email to Prime Minister Trudeau: Canada has still not officially recognized the Genocide of Roma and Sinti (‘Porrajmos’) which occurred during Nazi occupation of Europe in World War II.

Ottawa is being urged to offer redress to the Roma refugees who were the clients of three disciplined Toronto lawyers and subsequently had their asylum claims rejected by Canada [...]

Dear friends, 

I have wonderful news to share. 

Yesterday, at 5:20 pm EST, less than 24 hours before his third scheduled deportation, CIC called young Gergo Balogh (subject of article below) to inform him that his H&C application has now been approved and that he can stay in Canada [...] 

Immigration lawyers are seeing a growing number of deportation cases where a failed refugee claimant is being removed even if the person has a pending permanent residence application with the spouse, who is granted asylum in a separate claim [...]

The federal government denies it’s behind the problems faced by Roma travellers, saying it’s up to airlines to decide who boards flights to Canada.

Ottawa is being accused of preventing Roma travellers from boarding Canada-bound flights and denying them the possibility of seeking asylum here [...]