Ukraine’s Roma refugees face uncertain future under threat of discrimination in Hungary

As many Romani people cross the Ukrainian-Hungarian border, fears are rising over how they’ll be treated under Viktor Orban’s regime. Amanda Coakley reports from the village of Tiszabecs

Romani people fleeing Ukraine arrive in Tiszabecs, Hungary, in late February (AFP/Getty)

As the warnings grew ever louder in the weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Romani man Maxsim became increasingly concerned about his family and their community in the western Ukrainian city of Vynohradiv.

While he was worried about what he would do if a war started and his work as a labourer dried up, the 21-year-old did not believe deep down that there would be full-scale conflict.

So when Russian missiles started raining down on Ukrainian soil on 24 February, Maxsim was stunned, and heartbroken. He knew his family needed a plan and immediately gathered with his Roma community to discuss their collective response and next steps.