AI to present report on Roma in Serbia

Amnesty International (AI) will present a report on position of Roma in Serbia. AI has also requested adoption of a law that will protect Roma who were evicted from illegal settlements. AI to present report on Roma in Serbia Ahead of the International Roma Day, AI has announced that it will document a series of evictions of Roma since April 2009, which left many living in poor conditions. The National Roma Council has assessed that these problems are very serious, adding that the position of Roma has improved in the last several years. Former state minority rights official Petar Antic says that there had been a lack of political will to do anything else. The document, which will also be presented to Belgrade Mayor Dragan Djilas, says that the evicted Roma do not have a access to education, work and that they cannot exercise their economic and social rights without personal IDs. National Roma Council President Ivan Vasic recently visited one of five settlements where Roma, who had been living in a shanty town under Gazela Bridge in Belgrade, now live. He claims that at least 80 percent of them are satisfied with their living conditions. “54 students fo to school, many of them are working, they have been offered work in the city waste management company, Belgrade Greenery or at cemetary maintenance. This is not what we call 'having a home', but it is some transitional solution, the city decided it would be for five years, after which these people will get their homes, they are not paying utility bills and everything goes at the expense of the city,“ Vasic stressed. “The Roma problems covered by the Amnesty International report were already described in a strategy on improvement of Roma position which was adopted by the Serbian government more than two years ago,“ Antic told B92. Ahead of the International Roma Day, Serbian President Boris Tadic said that position and safety of Roma, especially children, needed to be improved. According to official data, there are more than 100,000 of Roma in Serbia, while unofficial assessments show that the exact number is at least five times higher. It is estimated that there are about 600 Roma settlements and many of them are illegal. Ahead of the International Roma Day, the European Commission (EC) has also addressed the issues that Roma are facing. (FoNet, file)

AI to present report on Roma in Serbia

Ahead of the International Roma Day, AI has announced that it will document a series of evictions of Roma since April 2009, which left many living in poor conditions.

The National Roma Council has assessed that these problems are very serious, adding that the position of Roma has improved in the last several years.

Former state minority rights official Petar Antić says that there had been a lack of political will to do anything else.

The document, which will also be presented to Belgrade Mayor Dragan Đilas, says that the evicted Roma do not have a access to education, work and that they cannot exercise their economic and social rights without personal IDs.

National Roma Council President Ivan Vasić recently visited one of five settlements where Roma, who had been living in a shanty town under Gazela Bridge in Belgrade, now live.

He claims that at least 80 percent of them are satisfied with their living conditions.

“54 students fo to school, many of them are working, they have been offered work in the city waste management company, Belgrade Greenery or at cemetary maintenance. This is not what we call 'having a home', but it is some transitional solution, the city decided it would be for five years, after which these people will get their homes, they are not paying utility bills and everything goes at the expense of the city,“ Vasić stressed.

“The Roma problems covered by the Amnesty International report were already described in a strategy on improvement of Roma position which was adopted by the Serbian government more than two years ago,“ Antić told B92.

Ahead of the International Roma Day, Serbian President Boris Tadić said that position and safety of Roma, especially children, needed to be improved.

According to official data, there are more than 100,000 of Roma in Serbia, while unofficial assessments show that the exact number is at least five times higher. It is estimated that there are about 600 Roma settlements and many of them are illegal.

Ahead of the International Roma Day, the European Commission (EC) has also addressed the issues that Roma are facing.