Roma in United Nations refugee camps, Mitrovica

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About 500-700 Roma people currently (as of 2008) live in three UN-created refugee camps in Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo. The camps are based around disused heavy metals mines which have fallen out of use since the end of the Kosovo War of 1999. There have been complaints that the residents are suffering severe lead poisoning.

Current Situation

A number of people have been resettled to the local mahala and to the former French UN barracks.^{[citation needed]}

Background

A BBC article ^[1] of June 2005 said that the European Roma Rights Centre was preparing legal action against the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the interim Kosovan Government over its failure to relocate the remaining residents.

Response

The leading NGO taking up the case is the Kosovo Roma Refugee Foundation, led by Paul Polansky. Mr. Polansky's controversial article ^[2] in the International Herald Tribune in the Spring of 2005, sparked considerable international interest.

Since that time, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Amnesty International, the Society for Threatened Peoples, Refugees International and many other humanitarian organizations have demanded that the UN immediately evacuate these three camps.

Legal actions have been taken by the European Roma Rights Centre. On 20 February 2006, ERRC filed a lawsuit ^[3] against UNMIK with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. On 24 March 2006, a meeting was held ^[4] by the United Nations Human Rights Committee to review the ERRC's report on the human rights situation in Mitrovica, Kosovo.

As of late 2006, reports circulated of new sites being found for the Roma refugees, but suitability (location in Albanian quarter ) and progress on moving, is unknown.^{[5] [6] [7]}

Documentaries

A documentary about the issue, Gypsy Blood: The Roma, Ashali and Egyptian IDPs of Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo was completed in July 2005 by American film-maker Daniel Lanctot.

This documentary was screened at numerous international venues. It won the award for Best Informative Film at the Golden Wheel Film Festival (2005) in Skopje, Macedonia. Also in 2005, it screened at a European Parliament hearing on the "Situation of Roma women in the European Union" and at the International "One World Festival of Documentary Films on Human Rights" in Pristina.

Dateline's UN's Toxic Shame by Amos Roberts, a scathing review of the UN's inaction on this scandal, aired in Australia on 26 April 2009.^[8]

See also

• Roma in Kosovo

References

External links

• European Court of Human Rights
• United Nations Human Rights Committee
• Gypsy Blood: The Roma, Ashali and Egyptian IDPs of Mitrovica, Kosovo Internet at the Internet Movie Database
• Dateline, an Australian documentary which first aired April 26, 2009.
• KOSOVO MEDICAL EMERGENCY GROUP NGO highlighting this issue.
• UNMIK Moving Roma

v • d • e Romani people around the world Cultural groups Roma (Boyash • Kalderash • Lovari • Machvaya • Ruska Roma • Servitko Roma • Ursari • Muslim Roma) • Ashkali • Cascarots • Erromintxela • Gitanos • Finnish Kale • Welsh Kale • Romanichal • Sinti • Manouche • Scandinavian Travellers (Tavinger, Romanisæl) • Kawliya (sometimes considered Romani: Dom • Lom • Lyuli • Bosha • Garachi) By location: Central and Eastern Europe: Croatia • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bulgaria • Greece • Cyprus • Hungary • Kosovo • Macedonia • Romania • Russia • Serbia • Slovakia • Spain • Turkey • Ukraine Western and Northern Europe: Finland • France • Spain Near East: Armenia • Syria Americas: Brazil • Black Dutch Settlements and communities Sulukule • Agia Varvara • Mitrovica refugee camps • Stolipinovo • Rudolice nad Bílinou • Šuto Orizari Municipality • Bangladeš • Budeşti • Jatagan Mala • Zanea

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