Stop the Forced Evictions of Roma Settlements

SeRbIA Stop the forced evictionS of roma SettlementS

HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT 2 SeRbIA Stop the forced evictionS of roma SettlementS ©

‘[The] practice of forced C E E

eviction constitutes a gross B a n k w

violation of human rights, a t c h

in particular the right N e t w o

to adequate housing.’ r k

UN Commission on Human Rights, Resolution 1993/77, para 1.

On 31 August 2009 at around 10am, under international law. Consultations held above : A bulldozer demolishing houses at the Romani inhabitants of a settlement with the communities were inadequate, the Gazela Bridge settlement in Belgrade, underneath the Gazela Bridge in Belgrade, no compensation was provided for loss 31 August 2009. Serbia, found themselves surrounded by of and damage to personal property, no police. Trucks and bulldozers appeared. legal remedies were provided and the No journalists were allowed near the site. resettlement options failed to meet requirements under international human place unless absolutely necessary; that any The forced eviction of the Gazela settlement rights standards. This report documents further evictions are carried out in accordance took less than three hours. By 1pm almost the forced eviction of Gazela, outlines with international standards, including the 200 homes had been destroyed. Few of the human rights violations which took provision of adequate alternative housing; the 178 Roma families had enough time place and, considering the continuing and that effective remedies are made to rescue their belongings before the threat of further forced evictions, makes available to all those who have been the bulldozers moved in. Most took with them recommendations to the Serbian authorities. victims of forced evictions. only what they could carry. Around 114 families were bussed to six sites on the Amnesty International calls on the Serbian outskirts of Belgrade and given government, and the Belgrade city authorities accommodation in metal containers. in particular, to ensure that no evictions take Another 64 families were transported to municipalities in southern Serbia. Forced evictions The settlement was evicted by the City of Belgrade authorities in advance of repair a forced eviction is the removal of people own or lease the land or housing in question. works on the dilapidated Gazela Bridge, part against their will from the homes or land they not every eviction that is carried out by force of the redevelopment of Serbia’s motorway occupy, without legal protections and other constitutes a forced eviction. if the system. Several other Roma settlements in safeguards including: genuine consultation appropriate safeguards are in place, a lawful Belgrade and across Serbia will be evicted as with those affected, prior and adequate eviction which involves a proportionate use part of this massive infrastructure project. notice, and provision of adequate alternative of force does not violate the prohibition of The eviction of the Gazela settlement was housing, regardless of whether they rent, forced evictions. carried out without the safeguards required

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C E E

B a n k w a t c h

N e t w o r k

GAzelA bRIdGe residents envisaged 400 small houses, a above : Roma residents gather as the demolition community centre providing social, health of the settlement at Gazela Bridge begins, Plans for the eviction of the 800 and job training services, a kindergarten, 31 August 2009. predominantly Romani people living under and a recycling centre employing around the Gazela Bridge started before September 250 people. 2007 when Putevi Srbjie (Roads of Serbia, a state-owned company) signed an After three proposed locations were rejected were forcibly evicted in advance of the agreement for a €77 million loan from the by local residents, the city authorities World Student Games. Hostile local European Bank for Reconstruction and proposed a new site in the Belgrade suburb residents in the suburb where containers Development (EBRD) and the European of Ovča. However, the architects’ plans had been hastily prepared for their Investment Bank (EIB). The loan covered were abandoned in October 2008 after resettlement, attempted to set fire to the reconstruction of the 30-year-old Gazela further demonstrations by local residents containers. Some women and children Bridge over the river Sava, linking Old opposed to Roma living in their community. were taken to a social welfare centre, but and New Belgrade, the construction of The Roma Union of Serbia accused the city most of the Roma were left without shelter, approach roads and a section of the of failing to address such discrimination. attracting local and international protest. Belgrade bypass. The EBRD and EIB conditioned the release of funding on the In February 2009, without any In May 2009 the City approved an Action resettlement of the Gazela community by consultation, Deputy Mayor of Belgrade Plan for the Resettlement of Shanty the City of Belgrade in accordance with Milan Krkobabić announced a new plan Settlements . Plans for the Gazela eviction the 1990 World Bank Operational Directive for Gazela. Some 114 Romani families – were set out in an Amended Action Plan, 4.30 on Involuntary Resettlement . Belgrade residents and internally dated 25 August, and approved by the City displaced people from Kosovo – would Assembly only two days before the eviction In 2007 a census was conducted of the receive “new accommodation” in different took place. The Amended Action Plan was Gazela population and by 2008, the city municipalities around Belgrade. Others never officially made public, or shown to authorities, working with Roma Heart, a would be returned to southern Serbia from the Roma community. Vladan Đukić, head non-governmental organization (NGO), where they originated. of the City Secretariat for Social Welfare, started consultation on the resettlement only informed the Gazela Roma that they with the residents. By mid-2008, architects’ In March, more than 250 Roma living in would be evicted and resettled in plans for new homes for the Gazela a settlement at Blok 67 in New Belgrade containers less than six weeks before the

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A C m E E n

e B s a t y n

k I n w t a e t r c n h a

t N i o e n t w a l o r k

eviction took place on 31 August 2009. A vIOlATION Of INTeRNATIONAl Serbia is required under international Despite the EBRD’s condition that Gazela STANdARdS human rights law to refrain from and protect residents should be resettled in accordance people from forced evictions. This means with the World Bank Operational Directive “Nobody can stand in the way of adopting and implementing laws that on Involuntary Resettlement , the reality fell Belgrade’s development,” comply with international standards which far short of the directive, and of Vladan Đukić, head of the City Secretariat for Social set out the safeguards that should be international human rights standards. Welfare, in charge of the Gazela resettlement, complied with during evictions. Serbia has Amnesty International interview, 6 February 2010. Amnesty International considers that not adopted such laws. Those evicted do not Gazela residents were forcibly evicted. have access to any legal remedy to prevent

tHe riGHt to AdeQUAte HoUsinG

The right to adequate housing, which of Discrimination against Women; the views shelter exclusively as a commodity. includes the right to be protected from European Convention on Human Rights; Rather it should be seen as the right to live forced eviction, is guaranteed in several and Article 16 of the Revised European somewhere in security, peace and dignity.” international and regional human rights Social Charter. As a state party to these treaties. These include Article 11(1), treaties, Serbia has a legal obligation to In 2007 the UN Special Rapporteur on International Covenant on Economic, guarantee the right to adequate housing. adequate housing issued the Basic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR); principles and guidelines on development- Article 17, International Covenant on Civil The UN Committee on Economic, Social based evictions and displacement (Basic and Political Rights (ICCPR); Article 27(4), and Cultural Rights (CESCR) has principles). The Basic Principles, based on Convention on the Rights of the Child; emphasized that “the right to housing international treaties and the General Article 5(e), International Convention on should not be interpreted in a narrow or Comments of UN treaty bodies, aim to the Elimination of All Forms of Racial restrictive sense which equates it with, for ensure that evictions are absolutely Discrimination; Article 14(2)(h) of the example, the shelter provided by merely necessary, carried out lawfully, and protect Convention on the Elimination of All Forms having a roof over one’s head or which the human rights of those evicted.

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the eviction, or to compensate them for the Lilijana, an internally displaced person from left to right: A bus waits to transport Roma violations which took place. (IDP) fled from Kosovo in 1999, and after a to resettlement sites on the outskirts of year in Bela Palanka in southern Serbia, Belgrade as City employees look on, 31 August In this report Amnesty International moved to Gazela where she ran a small 2009. Interior of Roma home in Belvil highlights some of the human rights shop. Mima, her daughter, works at the settlement, February 2010. A Roma woman violations which took place before, during post office in New Belgrade. Amnesty collects her belongings from Blok 67 forcibly and after the Gazela eviction, including: International interviewed Lilijana in the evicted in advance of the International Student the failure to provide adequate notice, Barajevo settlement in south Belgrade in Games, in Belgrade, 3 April 2009. the absence of genuine consultation; February 2010: a failure to ensure that the resettlement site met with requirements under “In 2007 they started making lists of international standards and to provide people. We were to be included in the were held on resettlement options or compensation for losses; the forced housing project. The Roma National alternatives; the Action Plan was never internal displacement of people to Council took us to their office to show us discussed with the community. About six southern Serbia; and the continuing the maquette [model] of the houses and weeks before the eviction, they were threat of forced evictions relating to consult us about our needs. Back then, informed that they would be resettled in development projects. they were already giving out the metal containers. Those included on lists documentation required to be included in drawn up in 2007 were merely asked to the project: 114 families were supposed to identify at which container sites - and with NO GeNUINe cONSUlTATION be included. Then in August [2009] we got which other families - they wanted to live. the decision about the eviction from Mr “During planning processes, opportunities Đukić. We didn’t know where we would be According to Gordana, interviewed by the for dialogue and consultation must be evicted to. I’m not happy about the eviction. NGO Bankwatch in 2009: “We knew that extended effectively to the full spectrum of It was easier to make a living in Gazela than we had to be resettled, but we didn’t know affected persons, including women and here in Barajevo. My daughter has to travel that it would happen in two hours. We vulnerable and marginalized groups, and, an hour and a half to get to work now. ” thought that it would take two or three days. when necessary, through the adoption of First 20 families, then another 30 families… special measures or procedures.” After the Ovča plan was abandoned in We didn’t know the police would surround Basic principles, para. 39 October 2008, no genuine consultations everything, and we would just be pushed

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“They put 40 containers in Rakovica, one next to the other, A m n e

and it’s worse than it was before. s t y

I n t

Maya, interviewed by the NGO Bankwatch, 2009, Rakovica e r n a t i o n a l

onto a bus. They did not keep their word, could not believe it. Maya, now living at and in the end they did it arbitrarily. ” Rakovica settlement, said: “[They told me], ‘Get on the bus if you want, but if you’re After being told about the resettlement, her against it, you’re in the street’. Everything group elected to stay in Zemun, part of New was flying from all sides, in came the Belgrade, so they would have access to work. trucks. My children were there, gathered “So we filled in this paper for Zemun, then around my legs, screaming; what could I we waited and waited until a few days before tell them ?” the demolition, and then Đukić invited us to a meeting at 9 o’clock in the evening… on Tomica, from Kosovo, who had lived in the street! And he took out a stopwatch to Belgrade for 20 years, told Amnesty count how long he spoke to each: one, two, International: “They came with trucks three minute conversations. He said there and police and vans. We all had to leave was no location in Zemun. To be honest, in 20 minutes. I lost my house, TV, DVD, we got angry with him – we’d been waiting new beds, mirrors, fridge, everything. with running water, sinks, showers and for so long and now a few days before I wasn’t even there when the house was toilets] , was not working. ” resettlement, he’d changed everything. ” taken down. [Dragan] Đilas [Mayor of Belgrade] and others came from the The Serbian authorities are required under On the day of eviction, Gordana received municipality – I was arguing with them international human rights law to provide papers stating she would be resettled at a about our destination. My family was fair and just compensation for losses of container site in Mladenovac (47km south listed to go to Mladenovac, but we property resulting from the eviction. But no of Belgrade): “Đukić said, ‘What I have I’ll wanted to go to Barajevo. While I was provision was made in the Action Plan for offer you. If you accept it, you accept. If not, talking, they took my house down. ” residents to make an inventory of their I have nothing to do with you. Go out into property before the eviction; nor did any of the street.’ My son said ‘Take what he Tomica received no compensation for the the Gazela families receive compensation offers, just to get off the street.’ Another destruction of his house, its contents, or for the loss of their possessions and the official said there were two empty the van which he used to earn his living, destruction of their houses. containers at Barajevo – ‘Take it because I collecting scrap metal. don’t have anything else’. ” Vladan Đukić, the official in charge of the According to the NGO the Regional Centre eviction, denied that people could not take deStrUction of perSonal property for Minorities, “Women were told not to away their possessions. He claimed to and failUre to provide compenSation carry things with them, they were told Amnesty International, “They had months to Although the Gazela Roma had been told it would all be there, but when they prepare for the eviction. There was a convoy the eviction date, they were not told how arrived [at the containers] there were no of trucks which took their things; they were the eviction would be conducted. In reality fridges or stoves, and they were initially able to put everything in… [anyway] they they had little opportunity to gather their expected to cook over an open fire. There are not able to fit them all [their belongings] personal possessions, or to challenge the was nowhere to wash clothes and the into the containers. ” eviction. When the bulldozers came in they ‘sanitary unit’, [a container equipped

Amnesty International June 2010 index: eUr 70/003/2010 lIvING IN cONTAINeRS metal containers are placed on concrete above : Containers at Makiš provided to or gravel, some propped up on brick house families with up to five members, “They put 40 containers in Rakovica, one footings. Each container has an electricity February 2010. next to the other, and it’s worse than it was supply, but no running water, which is before… We have nothing better, and it’s even supplied only to communal taps, washing harder now. There’s not enough space to areas and sanitary units. sleep, let alone live. What can you do if you “I’m very satisfied. My life has changed have one room for cooking, sitting, kids While many women welcomed the 100 per cent. We have electricity and playing. It’s even smaller than it was at Gazela. availability of running water, many water. I know that it is much better You have no space to turn around; the kids complained that the number of sanitary living here. We used to have big rats have no space to play inside. I wish we could units was not sufficient for the number of everywhere, and we used to have to look be accommodated in an apartment – and that families, and at some sites waste water was out for the children because of the rats. ” one day I’ll live as other people do. ” pooling around the units, rather than Maya, interviewed by the NGO Bankwatch, draining away. 2009, Rakovica. Many former Gazela residents like Maya The 114 families evicted from Gazela now and Lilijana are unhappy living in the live in containers in six locations, the containers and are waiting for a more majority far from local amenities, on the permanent housing solution. Others see outskirts of the city at Barajevo, Makiš, some benefits: Tomica arrived in Barajevo Mladenovac, Rakovica, Krniača and with only the clothes he stood up in, but Orlovkso Naselje. In Orlovsko there are had been appointed by the City as camp also 15 families evicted from Blok 67 and co-ordinator, and was paid a monthly Vojvodinska Street in early 2009. The wage. He told Amnesty International:

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A left : The containers in Orlovska Naselje m n

e provided for families evicted from Gazela s t y

Bridge are unstable and packed closely I n t e together, 2010. r n a t i o n a l

‘AdeqUATe HOUSING’? location They now have to travel to work from the The CESCR has highlighted that “Adequate outskirts of Belgrade – if they can find These metal containers do not meet the housing must be in a location which allows somewhere to store materials. Although the criteria for “adequacy” of housing identified access to employment options, health-care Action Plan envisaged building recycling by the CESCR or the “adequate permanent services, schools and other social facilities”. centres to provide employment, none have housing” specified by the EBRD. Although Situated on the margins of Belgrade, the so far been built. (One site is being the Roma have signed contracts with the container sites are isolated, with little access separately developed under a World Health City and have security of tenure, and have to basic services. Although, as legal tenants, Organization initiative.) Many of the women been provided with a free, and thus the Roma are eligible to register as Belgrade had worked as cleaners but are now unable affordable, place to live, the container residents, not all have received the promised to find employment locally. While some settlements fail to meet the following criteria: assistance in obtaining residency documents adults have been offered work in the City’s availability of services, materials, facilities needed to access such basic services. In Public Utilities Department in waste, and infrastructure; habitability; location; February 2010, some still had no residency gardening and cemetery maintenance, accessibility; and cultural adequacy. document, in some cases because their some others were concerned that if they contracts had reportedly not been issued accepted these jobs, they would not be habitability until that month. Without residency they eligible for social housing. The CESCR has stated that adequate were denied access to health care or social housing must provide the inhabitants with benefits. The City had also made children’s acceSSibility adequate space and protect them from school attendance a condition of families’ “Last week Mr Đukić came with some cold, damp, wind, rain and other threats to access to social benefits, but children at foreigners. He said that 80 flats are being health. When Amnesty International visited some sites still faced difficulties travelling built and that we can apply for them – but the container settlements in February to or integrating into local schools. everyone can apply, not just our settleme nt. ” 2010, many containers were overcrowded. Liljana, Barajevo. Families with up to five members were “Evictions should not result in individuals allocated containers measuring 5.77m x being rendered… vulnerable to the violation The CESCR states that adequate housing 2.44m (14m 2); larger families are supposed of other human rights… Alternative housing must be accessible to those entitled to it. But to have two containers, but this is not should be situated as close as possible to instead, the Action Plan envisages that the always the case. The containers are the original place of residence and source evicted Roma will have to compete for 900 not insulated (despite winter temperatures of livelihood of those evicted.” social housing units which will reportedly be of minus 10C), poorly ventilated, and Basic principles, para. 43 built by the end of 2010: “Families currently often damp. In some, water leaks through settled in mobile housing… will have equal the ceiling, but generally the damp results There is no work available near the rights and opportunities to compete to move from condensation caused by the number container sites, which are far from the city into the flats equal to any other socially of people in such a small space, and from centre, where many of the Gazela Roma vulnerable citizens of Belgrade. ” cooking. Women told Amnesty International worked collecting and re-selling scrap or that they constantly had to wipe down the recyclable materials. Further, under the Amnesty International considers this to be container walls to keep them dry and Action Plan, Gazela Roma were prohibited inadequate in addressing the permanent prevent mould. from taking any waste material with them. housing needs of Roma. Under the

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‘everyone knew that the ebRd wanted everyone to have proper housing but Đilas said he would never do it’.

Smiljana, Belvil settlement ©

A m n e s t y

I n t e r n a t i o n a l above : Smiljana and her granddaughter who ReSpONSIbIlITIeS Of THe Directive 4.30 on Involuntary Resettlement , face forced eviction from the Belvil settlement, ebRd ANd eIb which applies when people do not have the Belgrade. Picture by Biljana Rakočević for choice to refuse resettlement. This policy Amnesty International 2010. “Remove me, and then you can distribute contains a number of positive aspects such flats to Roma ” as consultations with communities and their Mayor Dragan Đilas, Mayor of Belgrade 30 January participation in planning and implementing 2010. the resettlement. It does not, however, Serbian Law on Social Housing, which contain or require all the mandatory entered into force in September 2009 but Under the loan agreement, the EBRD international human rights safeguards, has not yet been implemented, Roma are required the City of Belgrade authorities to including exploring alternatives to evictions, one among 14 priority groups for social provide the resettled Roma with adequate ensuring due process, and that resettlement housing but are the only group to have housing, not containers. Yet the Mayor and sites comply with all the requirements for been subjected to forced evictions on this City officials have consistently refused to “adequacy” of housing set out under scale. With the housing deficit across implement the conditions for adequate international human rights standards. Serbia estimated at 100,000 units, resettlement in full. In February 2010 Mayor Amnesty International believes that few Dragan Đilas told Radio B92: “This is not a Despite the failure of the city and Gazela Roma will be able to access social donation, but an economic loan, and if these government to fully meet both banks’ housing, unless the City provides additional are the conditions, we will not take it.” conditions on resettlement, the EBRD and permanent housing as required by the the EIB released the first loan instalments EBRD loan conditions. EBRD’s resettlement conditions were based in February and March 2010 respectively. on the 1990 World Bank Operational According to the EIB, this was “at the

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A left : Shared facilities for washing clothes m n

e and dishes at the Barajevo container site, s t y

February 2010. I n t e r n a t i o n a l

fORcIbly dISplAced TO SOUTHeRN SeRbIA

Although the city authorities were supposed to resettle all those living in Gazela, they refused to resettle 240 people (53 families) identified as originating from seven of the poorest municipalities in southern Serbia. The MLSW subsequently took responsibility request of the Serbian authorities and in conditions. However, they demanded that for this group, and from January 2009 took consideration of the emergency situation the city and government authorities make measures for its return to the southern and public safety concerns linked to the additional commitments to address the municipalities, aiming to ensure that those rapid deterioration of the physical bank’s main outstanding concerns. evicted would have access to housing, condition of the Gazela Bridge”. Mayor Following an audit by the EBRD, detailed social protection, health and employment. Dragan Đilas’ claimed that the banks’ action plans and timelines were agreed with refusal to release funds to repair the the City of Belgrade and the Ministry for Around a fifth of this group left Gazela bridge was endangering lives. Labour and Social Welfare (MLSW). before the eviction. Few of those who remained were able to take their belongings On 11 March 2010, the EIB stated: The EBRD and the EIB, and their member with them. The State Secretary of the “Both the EIB and the EBRD have been states, have a responsibility to ensure that MLSW told Amnesty International in closely monitoring the resettlement process they do not support projects that lead to, or February 2010: “The trucks and buses undertaken to date by the Serbian contribute to, human rights violations. As were parked there; they had enough time authorities, with the conclusion that while such, the EBRD and EIB must have effective to pack and prepare, but many hesitated… there have been achievements, significant policies and processes in place to ensure [and] the police prevented them from outstanding issues remain. These include that all their activities respect human rights. getting to their houses.” In the absence of the provision of sustainable housing This requires them to ensure that they have legal provisions for compensation, each solutions for Project Affected People and the robust safeguards and due diligence returned family was given a one-off restoration of their livelihoods. Subsequent processes in place; that such safeguards assistance payment of between 100- disbursements will be conditional upon the and processes are based on – and explicitly 200,000 dinars (€1,000-2,000). They were implementation of the resettlement as refer to – human rights principles and also to be provided with assistance in agreed between the Serbian Authorities and standards, and are applied to all stages of a obtaining documentation, access to social the EIB, with a further contractual condition project. Therefore, the EBRD and EIB must benefits and education, including books to repay the loan if the specific requirements ensure that they do not support projects that and school materials. are not met by the year end. ” The EBRD told involve forced evictions or that violate the Amnesty International that, despite the right to adequate housing, and must be However, most of these Gazela residents absence of an acceptable Resettlement satisfied that adequate guarantees are in did not have adequate housing to return Action Plan, the money was released after place to ensure that their clients comply with to in southern Serbia. Although they were the EBRD board had waived the original all relevant human rights standards. registered as living in a particular

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municipality, most did not have security the employment of at least one member lIvING IN INSecURITy of tenure or legalized houses. Some of each household on constructing the settlements had no water supply. In some Corridor 10 motorway. informal SettlementS municipalities, the returnees still live in From the 1950s onwards, the Roma temporary or makeshift accommodation; However, Amnesty International considers population of Belgrade grew as Roma from houses have yet to be built for them. With that the displacement to the south violates the economically deprived south of Serbia, few employment opportunities, some have Article 12(1) of the ICCPR which provides Kosovo and Macedonia, came in search already returned to Belgrade. that “Everyone lawfully within the territory of work. Between 450,000 and 800,000 of a State shall, within that territory, have Roma live in Serbia, 30 per cent of In order to fulfil its obligations to the Roma, the right to liberty of movement and whom live on less than €2.15 per day. the government needs to provide financial freedom to choose his residence”. An estimated 100,000 Roma live in assistance to the economically deprived Belgrade; a third of them live in around southern municipalities. The government 147 informal settlements. also needs to satisfy outstanding conditions identified by the EBRD, including the Informal settlements like Gazela and Belvil legalization of settlements, the provision are generally constructed on wasteland, of sewage treatment and electricity, and unused industrial land and waste dumps around the city. Houses are built from recycled materials, including wood and cardboard, or sometimes bricks and other internAlly displAced romA And Forced retUrnees salvaged building materials. Most families build their own houses, but can also buy Following the war in Kosovo, after In addition, some Kosovo Roma – denied pre-built houses for €50-€200. Most have at July 1999 up to 50,000 Roma were international protection in western least two rooms and an entrance room for forcibly displaced to Serbia. Kosovo European countries – are being forcibly dirty shoes and water containers. Despite Roma living in Serbia are considered returned to Serbia. Other Roma who left their surroundings, women manage to keep to be internally displaced people Serbia decades ago are being deported the houses clean and warm, using wood- (IDPs), although few are afforded the under EU readmission agreements. burning stoves for heating, boiling water and rights set out in international standards Many end up living in informal cooking. But despite layers of carpets and for displaced people. Kosovo IDPs settlements. At the end of March 2010 lino, damp still comes up through the floor. are estimated at 17 per cent of the between 20 and 25 returned families Water comes from pumps or standpipes; population of informal settlements, were evicted without warning from a electricity is often tapped off the mains; unable to return to Kosovo in safety settlement in Vidikovac, Belgrade; they there is no drainage or sewage treatment. but with little prospect of local were not provided with any assistance or integration or resettlement in line alternative housing. Under international Under such circumstances many Roma with the Guiding Principles on standards returns should be sustainable suffer from ill health, and have a significantly Internal Displacement. and in conditions of safety and dignity. lower life expectancy than the average Belgrade citizen. International organizations

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report that Romani women’s health is permit, they are denied access to health above : A waste collector from the Gazela significantly worse than that of the general care. Thus women having a baby in Bridge Roma community searching for scrap population as a result of inadequate living hospital will borrow a friend or relative’s metal in the streets of Belgrade, 2009. conditions, substandard housing, poverty residency card. Others get around the and “the disadvantaged position of Romani problem by registering at a relative’s women within their domestic setting”. address, or paying for an address. Women told Amnesty International of the could not cope with all of us, so we rented a stress of living in such circumstances – and Only children whose parents have flat. I made some money selling things in the the stress of facing eviction. Valdeta Missini residency permits are able to attend markets, but it was not enough to pay for told Amnesty International: “It is extremely school, often excluding IDP children. electricity, and we were fined €4,500 for not difficult to live here. It takes 10 trips to get Few complete their elementary education, paying the electricity, so I had to sell my enough water from the pump; sometimes it and are consequently not eligible to share of my mother’s flat to pay the fine, and works, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s hard for the register at the State Employment Office. we came to Belvil three years ago... I paid children to play outside because of the Ilysen Durmis, an IDP from Kosovo, told €200 for the house… My daughter told me garbage and the mud and in summer there Amnesty International: “They discriminate to come here, and my son-in-law said it was are lots of rats... and we all have to sleep in when they see you are from Kosovo. It's a good place because you can sell stuff, but the same room. ” discrimination: I have three languages and the unofficial market at Buvliak has been I’m a driver but when they see I’m from closed and now it is difficult to buy food. While almost all Roma in Serbia experience Kosovo, they say I am uneducated. ” discrimination, those living in informal “No one has told us what they are doing. settlements are not only denied the right fUrther evictionS We are worried they might come tomorrow to adequate housing, but are often also “I was born in Belgrade, but… lived in Niš and destroy the house. Maybe they will give denied other human rights. Without a for 30 years until I fought with my husband, us seven days like in the other part of the legal address, they are unable to obtain and came to live in Belgrade with my settlement [Blok 67] : they stuck up notices a residence permit. Without a residence mother. But she was 78 years old and she about the deadline but then they came at

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four in the morning. It could happen to us people from Gazela have been resettled. above : A Serbian police officer confronts a as well. They will come with the police. We took our documents to Tiršova [City Romani family as a bulldozer destroys their We can see the road, and we know it will offices] … and they said that our file had house in the Gazela Bridge settlement, come through here. ” been taken into consideration. In July, Belgrade, 31 August 2009. Smiljana, Belvil settlement Dragan Kumanović [head of department in the Secretariat for Social Welfare] said that Hundreds of Romani families in New after Gazela, we would get the containers. Belgrade, like Smiljana’s, are living under But we’ve got nothing in writing. But on 18 confirmed with the EIB. The Deputy Mayor the threat of forced eviction. The building February 2010 the Deputy Mayor said that subsequently announced that 300 families programme associated with Gazela Bridge, these houses would be destroyed to build a living in Belvil, Buvliak and Tošin bunar the Belgrade bypass and motorway and bridge for the railway line. ” would be evicted at the end of April/early another new project to build a bridge across May 2010. In April Amnesty International the river Sava demands arterial roads, slip However, when Amnesty International urged the government and city authorities roads and other infrastructure which will interviewed Vladan Đukić, in February not to carry out a forced eviction, but to affect a number of locations where Roma 2010, he denied that Belvil would be ensure that safeguards are put in place so communities are living. evicted: “There is no eviction plan. that these communities would be resettled The inspectors from Communal Services in accordance with international standards. When Amnesty International visited three visited Belvil recently to see if they [Roma] No eviction had taken place when this of these settlements in February 2010 pay for electricity and water. They have to report went to press. none of the affected communities had been pay. This applies to all people in Belgrade. adequately consulted or even fully informed What they are doing is illegal.” of the impending eviction. Smiljana had tried to find out; she told Amnesty In a separate contract with the city, in International: “The deputy promised that March 2010 the EBRD released funds to we will have the containers when the build a new bridge over the river Sava,

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left and above: Valdeta Missini and her husband Ramadan Missini, both IDPs from Kosovo. They and their children have been evicted or forced to move several times, and face another eviction from the Belvil Roma settlement in Belgrade. Pictures by Biljana Rakočević for Amnesty International 2010.

THe MISSINI fAMIly “We got IDP cards, and for about a year document we got was just confirming the we got help from the Red Cross for the state of our house – and who lives here. Valdeta and Ramadan Missini are Roma children and the baby. Then one day the We don't know what is going to happen. IDPs from Kosovo. They have six children. Red Cross said they wouldn’t help us These containers, they are all far away from Like many other IDPs, they have been anymore, but they didn't say why. So we the city, and they are too small for the whole forced to move or evicted several times. went to Tošin bunar, and made a house, family. It won't be a solution and I won't be They live in the Belvil settlement which is and were there for three years. There were able to work. ” due to be evicted. about 450 houses there. Then the [city] authorities destroyed them. They came one Ramadan Missini told Amnesty day [May 2002] , and told us that we had to International in February, “I was born in go; they said we would have trucks to take Prizren, Kosovo. I was in the regular army our stuff, but we said why the trucks? We based in Prizren, during the [NATO] didn’t know where to go. Fifteen days later bombardment, and then I came to they came with the police, and threatened Belgrade in July 1999. We came on the us and so we left [24 May 2002] and Niš Express bus, which was stopped by moved to the other side of the road, where the Kosovo Liberation Army somewhere we paid a friend €50 to sublet part of his near the border. They took everyone off house. We were there for three years, then I the bus and beat us up. I was in hospital bought our own house for €200. I paid it off for two months. Then I rented a flat in in three instalments. Zemun, and my wife and children came from Kosovo five months later, and we “A communal inspector came two weeks stayed at my uncle’s house. ago. He told us not to worry. He said the

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GOveRNMeNT respected, however the EBRD… demands above : The forced eviction of the Roma ReSpONSIbIlITIeS complete compliance with the agreement settlement at Belvil was announced by the on resolving the housing of Roma from Deputy Mayor of Belgrade on 30 March 2010. On 1 July 2008, the Serbian government unhygienic settlements. ” assumed the year’s Presidency of the Decade of Roma Inclusion. The Ministry In 2009, at least four Roma settlements in of Human and Minority Rights announced Belgrade were forcibly evicted. The 114 Without safeguards in place and that housing was one of the government’s Gazela families, now living in containers, implemented by the City of Belgrade and four priorities, promising to legalize and will have to compete, along with thousands national government, Amnesty International improve Roma settlements, relocate “slum” of others in Belgrade who live in poverty is concerned that families in these settlements and provide low-cost housing. and inadequate housing, for the limited settlements will be forcibly evicted. social housing available. However, while the government has The Serbian government is responsible for concluded agreements to improve housing In temporary settlements across New guaranteeing to Roma their rights not to be for Roma with 18 other municipalities, the Belgrade, Romani families wait to be forcibly evicted and to adequate housing. City of Belgrade has contravened evicted in advance of construction It therefore has a duty to ensure that international standards with impunity. The projects. Others living under the Belgrade and other municipal authorities Serbian government has failed to express Pančevo Bridge will be evicted to make also abide by these international standards. publicly concerns about the forced way for the expansion of the port of evictions and appears to support the City’s Belgrade. In southern Serbia – settlements actions. On 1 February 2010 the Minister in Leskovac, Pirot and Vranje will be for Infrastructure, stated: “The evicted to make way for the Corridor [resettlement] plan has until now been 10 motorway.

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RecOMMeNdATIONS

Amnesty International calls on the n Respect the rights of all victims to an The EBRD and the EIB, and its member Serbian government and City of Belgrade effective remedy, including access to justice states should: authorities to: and the right to reparations, including n Ensure that they do not support projects n Stop all forced evictions, and ensure restitution, rehabilitation, compensation, that involve forced evictions or that violate that infrastructure projects do not result satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition. the right to adequate housing. in any further forced evictions. n Provide adequate alternative housing n Ensure that people who were forcibly n Ensure that evictions are only carried out to all those who were forcibly evicted from evicted receive adequate alternative as a last resort after all feasible alternatives to Gazela Bridge and compensation for losses housing and effective remedies. eviction have been explored. Procedural of any property and possessions damaged n Ensure that no additional funds are protections required under international human in the process. released without such corrective action rights law should be in place, in particular the n Introduce legislation on evictions, being taken and safeguards are put into requirements on consultation, adequate notice providing safeguards and remedies in place to ensure that there are no further and adequate alternative housing. accordance with international standards. forced evictions.

above : Roma evicted from Blok 67 in early April remain without alternative accommodation on International Roma Day, 7 April 2009. cover : The Roma settlement underneath the Gazela Bridge before demolition, 2009. © CEE Bankwatch Network

Amnesty international is a global movement of 2.8 million supporters, June 2010 members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who index: eUr 70/003/2010 campaign to end grave abuses of human rights. amnesty international HOUSING IS A our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the international Secretariat HUMAN RIGHT Universal declaration of human rights and other international human peter benenson house rights standards. 1 easton Street london Wc1X 0dW We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest United Kingdom or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. www.amnesty.org