Reuel S. Amdur, Author at Toward Freedom

The Plight of the Roma: From Europe to Canada

Reuel S. Amdur November 11, 2009 Reuel S. Amdur

Roma Camp in Italy

The media have not paid enough attention to the plight of the Roma in Europe. The Roma's living conditions are miserable, and they suffer from serious discrimination in education and employment, and attacks from racists and neo-Nazis. Because of the conditions they face in Europe, a number of Czech Roma fled to Canada in 2008 and 2009. Their Hungarian cousins quickly began to follow suit. Across these international borders, the Roma's struggle for rights and survival has not been an easy one.

From Europe to Canada: The Misery Continues for Roma

Reuel S. Amdur August 5, 2008 Reuel S. Amdur

Gypsy Boy in Kosovo

The Nazis did not kill them all, but racists in Eastern Europe and Italy are intent on making life miserable for those that are still around. I'm speaking about a people variously known as Rom, Roma, Romany, Sinti, and Gypsies. The slaughter of the Roma by the Nazis is poorly documented; figures from 200,000 to a million and a half have been cited, which may have amounted to as much as 80% of their population in Europe at the time. Their ongoing persecution has led to a burgeoning demand for refugee status in Canada.

Canada’s War on Terror and Immigrant Rights

Reuel S. Amdur March 3, 2008 Reuel S. Amdur

While there are undoubtedly real concerns about protecting Canada from undesirable and even dangerous immigrants, the procedures used have been less than fair, subjecting current suspects to years of imprisonment and onerous bail conditions without adequate opportunity to address the government's information.

Beyond Borders: Church Sanctuary for Refugees in Canada

Reuel S. Amdur January 29, 2008 Reuel S. Amdur

Refugees Protesting Deportation

Since 1983 when a Guatemalan refugee sought sanctuary in a Montreal church there have been hundreds of such cases in

Canada

. However, the pace quickened after 2002 when

Canada

's new Refugee Protection Act was applied. Clearly, the refugee determination procedures in Canada are in vast disarray. They need more humanity and more substance.