The Enculturation Experience of Roma Refugees: A Canadian Perspective

Since 1999, there has been increasing settlement in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, of large numbers of Roma families from Hungary, seeking refugee status. A number of agencies across health, social services, education, immigration, child welfare and justice sectors were concerned about the Roma population's difficulties within these systems and the ability of these systems to provide effective services to the Roma population. The goal of the Roma Project was to promote deeper understanding of Roma peoples and their culture in order to inform more effective and culturally appropriate service delivery in addressing the needs of the Roma population. Focus group and key informant interviews with Roma community members and service providers were used to assess need in education, health care and social welfare domains. Analysis of the data produced recommendations for best practices in working with the Roma newcomers.