In the village of Szalonna, in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, two large Slovak Roma families living in deep poverty have appeared seemingly out of nowhere. According to local rumour, the mayor of Kassa (Košice) purchased houses for them in order to “be rid” of the families and proceed with demolishing a nearby slum of illegal shacks on the outskirts of the city. Several voices have already spoken out against the alleged “relocations”, but there has as yet been no response from the Hungarian government.

According to a report by RTL News, the Slovak Roma families—who do not speak Hungarian—have turned up without prior notice in Szalonna, a settlement already severely affected by poverty, unemployment, and social and material deprivation. Local residents have made clear they do not wish to live alongside the newcomers, a concern they have also raised with the mayor, who himself claims to have had no prior knowledge of the situation.

RTL News reports that Lenka Kovacevicova, the mayor of Kassa/Košice, recently began dismantling a shanty settlement on the outskirts of the city. She has stated that suitable “alternative housing” has been secured for those living there without heating, running water, or electricity.

According to the assurances given, the families settling in Szalonna will continue to attend school and work in Kassa/Košice, though this has been met with scepticism locally. Mihály Dancs, head of the National Roma Self-Government in Hungary, said it was clear that the mayor of Kassa/Košice was purchasing low-cost properties in Hungary in order to relocate what he described as “problematic” families. He added that a further 30 people could arrive shortly. He and Szalonna’s mayor, Zsolt Balogh, are due to travel to Kassa/Košice next Monday to seek clarification in person.

Szalonna’s mayor is not alone in voicing concern. Gergely Mikola, the young mayor of nearby Encs, took to Facebook to urge residents not to sell their properties and not to facilitate what he described as “deportations”.

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Mikola claims the relocations are taking place “with Slovak political approval and funding provided by NGOs”, and that between 200 and 300 Slovak Roma could be “shifted” into Hungary, specifically into the districts of Encs, Edelény, Gönc and Szikszó.

He argues that while the scheme may appear orderly on paper, so-called voluntary departures are being incentivised through the provision of free housing, leaving the families effectively destitute regardless. Meanwhile, the receiving districts are already struggling to support residents living in hardship. The local authority therefore plans to register pre-emption rights on affected properties and is in ongoing talks with local Roma leaders to ensure a coordinated response.

The mayor also shared an image illustrating the living conditions from which these families are expected to arrive.

According to information received from the Košice city hall, the Slovak city is not operating any programme aimed at relocating socially disadvantaged residents to other settlements — including ones in Hungary — Zsolt Balogh, the independent mayor of the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county village, told the Hungarian news agency on Monday evening.

In a statement, Mr Balogh said he had met in Szalonna the mayor of one district of Košice, who said that the district he leads had supported efforts to improve the living conditions of two families, for example by making their properties habitable. The two families, he added, had in any case bought property in Szalonna of their own accord, using loans and purchasing from local owners.

The statement said Mr Balogh had asked whether the municipality should expect the arrival of more families in similar circumstances, and was told by the Košice district mayor that there was no such intention, and that the support concerned only those two families.

According to MTI, Szalonna is to adopt an “identity” decree at an extraordinary council meeting, including measures intended to prevent this kind of settlement. Mr Balogh has also already discussed the matter with the lord mayor of Košice, who said the authorities wanted to resolve the problems locally, and that assistance to the two families had been the independent initiative of the district leader.

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Featured image: illustration. Source: depositphotos.com