Romania: Information on the treatment of rejected asylum seekers upon their return to Romania
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1994 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ROM15981.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Romania: Information on the treatment of rejected asylum seekers upon their return to Romania, 1 January 1994, ROM15981.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac1e9c.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No information on whether the Romanian authorities exercise reprisals on rejected asylum seekers who return to Romania is currently available to the DIRB in Ottawa.
However, according to Country Reports 1992, no ressettlement assistance was granted to 30,000 Romanians, most of them Gypsies, who were denied refugee status in Germany and who were returned to Romania following a bilateral agreement signed by both countries on 24 September 1992 to facilitate their repatriation (1993, 880). The same day, Helsinki Watch sent a letter to President Iliescu of Romania expressing concern over the safety of Romanian Gypsies being returned to Romania from Germany (Human Rights Watch 1993, 228). The letter stated that "many of the Gypsies who are seeking political asylum in Germany fled Romania to escape violent mob attacks, deep-rooted prejudice and discrimination" (ibid.). The Romanian Gypsies make up 60 to 70 per cent of the total number of Romanian refugees in Germany (ibid.; Reuters 17 Sept. 1993; The New York Times 25 Sept. 1993). For information on the treatment of Gypsies in Romania, please consult the attached documents.
This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1992. 1993. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
Human Rights Watch. 1993. Human Rights Watch World Report 1993. New York: Human Rights Watch.
The New York Times. 25 September 1992. Final Edition. "Germany and Romania in Deportation Pact." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 17 September 1992. AM Cycle. Tom Heneghan. "Germany to Deport Romanians, Many of Them Gypsies." (NEXIS)
Attachments
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 23 October 1993. "Hungarian Radio: Gypsies Demand Action Against Anti-Gypsy Demonstrations." (NEXIS)
Human Rights Watch. 1993. Human Rights Watch World Report 1993. New York: Human Rights Watch, p. 228.
The New York Times. 25 September 1992. Final Edition. "Germany and Romania in Deportation Pact." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 12 November 1993. BC Cycle. "Amnesty Accuses Romania of Expelling Gypsies." (NEXIS)
. 25 October 1993. BC Cycle. Adrian Dalascu. "Romanian Gypsies Fall Victim to Race Attacks." (NEXIS)
. 18 October 1993. BC Cycle. "Amnesty Accuses Romania of Flagrant Rights Breach." (NEXIS)
. 1 October 1993. AM Cycle. "Rights Group Says Romanian Gypsies Victims of Pogrom." (NEXIS)
. 17 September 1992. AM Cycle. Tom Heneghan. "Germany to Deport Romanians, Many of Them Gypsies." (NEXIS)
Other Source Consulted
International Human Rights Law Group, Washington, DC. 25 January 1994. No information available.
