CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Kovacs, Annamaria |
|---|---|
| Title | In Transition: Understanding the Situation of Roma from Ukraine in Hungary |
| Summary | This thesis explores the experiences of Roma migrants from Ukraine living in Hungary following the 2022 military conflict. While the European Union’s Temporary Protection Directive was designed to offer legal and material support to displaced persons, its implementation in Hungary has resulted in fragmented access and exclusionary practices, particularly toward Roma families. Through qualitative fieldwork conducted in 2025, including nine semi-structured interviews with Roma migrants and professionals in civil society and institutional roles, this research analyzes how migration-related decisions, especially the government decree activated in August 2024, shape the lives of Roma migrants. The analysis draws on multi-layered citizenship theory, the concept of surplus population, and critical perspectives on the changing politics of care. Key findings show that housing insecurity, informal labor market reliance, weak governmental and public institutional coordination, and exclusion pose major challenges for Roma migrants. Civil society actors play a vital role, often substituting state services under conditions of enormous workload and funding uncertainty. The thesis argues for a shift from emergency aid to long-term inclusion strategies embedded in national welfare systems and supported by robust policy reform. |
| Supervisor | Kahanec, Martin |
| Department | Public Policy MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/kovacs_annamaria.pdf |
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