A Roma political activist and his family, long targets of reported neo-Nazi  attacks in Hungary, have been denied refugee status in Canada after an  Immigration and Refugee Board member ruled they have no legitimate fear of  persecution in their homeland – read the full story on Ottawa Citizen.

This is a surprising decion for everyone who is familiar to the deteriorating human rights situation in Hungary. The EU is well aware of the dangerous turn in Hungarian politics, and several independent observers have noted the lack of adequate protection afforded to Roma who are victims of racism and hate crimes. This is despite the existence on paper of an anti-discrimination law in line with the EU framework and directives.