Roma in Kosovo

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Roma in Kosovo are much depleted from their former numbers, and have been in both stationary and nomadic residence there since the 1400's. Their numbers swelled in 1999, when Albanian terrorists expelled 90,000 Roma from Kosovo, forcing them to take refuge in central Serbia. [1]

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[edit] Subgroups

As in other parts of the Balkans, the denomination of Roma has always been subject to outside pressure. Before the war, Kosovo Roma identified along subgroups such as as the Kovaci, Arli, Gurbeti and Srpski Roma. In the official census, the labels Roma and (Kosovo) Egyptians were used.

After the war and encouraged by the international community, the label Roma, Ashkali and Kosovo Egyptians and its abbreviation RAE became more common. Whereas the Ashkali and Kosovo Egyptians maintain their distinct origin, this is sometimes contested by Kosovo Roma who claim that all three groups are actually Roma subgroups.

[edit] Politics

Roma support many of the political parties in Kosovo, depending on their grouping faith, and wish to integrate. Many also support the specific Roma parties, of which there are two, the Ashkali and the Roma groupings, while there are none as of yet specifically for the Egyptian grouping.

[edit] Discrimination

They have been subject to nativisation and assimilation, with many having Albanian names depending on the power profile of the day. Most also have their own naming system for use among their own people. Roma in Kosovo, like Serbs and other minorities, today live in constant fear of the Albanian majority, and many live in concentration camps, like one in North Mitrovca .

[edit] Education

In common with Roma the world over, formal education is of a poor standard, especially among women due both to native beliefs that formal education is unnecessary, and to discrimination in education in the formal schools who are ill equipped for the needs of the Roma children.

Serbianising and Albanianising also lead to the Roma sliding from the educational mainstream.

Third level is not attained by the majority of Rom, and of those who do, they are mostly only half Romany, with there being Serb, Turk or Albanian heritage too.

[edit] Mitrovica Camps

Returning IDPs were housed by NATO / UNMIK in North Mitrovica in a lead mine site, and 27 died of lead poisoning. They were helped by NGO the KRRF, led by Paul Polansky.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.cafod.org.uk/where_we_work/eastern_europe/serbia/the_roma_community_in_serbia