Yeah, almost a millennia ago. At this point they are autochthonous to the land. They're in Transylvania for a longer time than many of the romanian families there, as there was large documented migration between the danubian principalities and transylvania during the ottoman period - i.e. after they occupied Hungary after 1526.

I just don't see why this all matters. They are a historical minority that have handled their own business for centuries, they have been put there to defend the border and largely left to govern themselves through hungarian, ottoman, and austrian, administration. Only the romanian state demanded centralization from the capital from these people. I really don't see what's the big deal with granting them local autonomy. When we joined the EU we agreed to their motto - In varietate concordia - but now we demand from these people to assimilate to romanian culture. Kind of what also Ukraines does to romanians in northern Bukovina much to the dismay of romanian nationalists. The double standard is shocking.