Going Nowhere?: Western Balkan Roma and EU Visa Liberalisation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ERRC EUROPEAN ROMA RIGHTS CENTRE The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) is an international public interest law organisation working to combat anti- ROMA RIGHTS Romani racism and human rights abuse of Roma. The approach of the ERRC involves strategic litigation, international JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ROMA RIGHTS CENTRE advocacy, research and policy development and training of Romani activists. The ERRC has consultative status with the Council of Europe, as well as with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. The ERRC has been the recipient of numerous awards for its efforts to advance human rights respect of Roma: The 2013 PL Foundation Freedom Prize; the 2012 Stockholm Human Rights Award, awarded jointly to the ERRC and Tho- mas Hammarberg; in 2010, the Silver Rose Award of SOLIDAR; in 2009, the Justice Prize of the Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation; in 2007, the Max van der Stoel Award given by the High Commissioner on National Minorities and the Dutch Foreign Ministry; and in 2001, the Geuzenpenning Award (the Geuzen medal of honour) by Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet of the Netherlands; Board of Directors Robert Kushen (USA - Chair of the Board) | Dan Pavel Doghi (Romania) | James A. Goldston (USA) | Lilla Farkas (Hungary) | Idaver Memedov (Macedonia) I Abigail Smith, ERRC Treasurer (USA) Staff Adam Weiss (Legal Director) | Andrea Jamrik (Financial Officer) | Andrea Colak (Lawyer) | Anna Orsós (Programmes Assistant) | Anca Sandescu (Human Rights Trainer) | Crina Morteanu (Legal Trainee) | Csilla Kacsó (Legal Administra- tion Officer) | Darya Alekseeva (Lawyer) | Dóra Eke (Programmes Assistant) | Dorottya Átol (Advocacy Coordinator) | Dzavit Berisha (Publications Officer) | Djordje Jovanovic (Research Coordinator) | Hajnalka Németh (Office Coordina- tor) | Hajnal Vernes (Financial Director) | Judit Gellér (Lawyer) | Julianna Oros (Financial Officer) | Kieran O’Reilly (Research Officer) | Marek Szilvasi (Research and Advocacy Officer) | Marcello Cassanelli (Legal Fellow) | Marianne ROMA RIGHTS Powell (Communications Officer) | Michal Zalesak (Legal Fellow) | Sinan Gökcen (Information Officer) | Stephan Müller (Programmes Director) | Stefan Luca (Lawyer) | Tefik Mahmut (Legal Trainee) Consultants Chiara Paganuzzi (Italy) | Eben Friedman (Western Balkans) | Erika Bodor (France) | Hacer Foggo (Turkey) | | Július Mika (Czech Republic) | Manon Fillonneau (France) | Marija Manic´ (Serbia) | Markus Pape (Czech Re- GOING NOWHERE? WESTERN BALKAN ROMA AND EU VISA LIBERALISATION public) | Mustafa Asanovski (Macedonia) | Robert Matei (Romania) | Rosalia Mangiacavallo (Italy) | Tara Bedard (Consultant) | Tomáš Sivák (Slovakia) Recent Interns ���������������������Amantia Muhedini (USA�Albania)�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� | Busra Guder (Turkey) | Manuel Spornberger (Austria) | Oana Mihalache (Roma- nia) | Senada Sali (Macedonia) | Swain Huber (USA) The ERRC was founded by Mr Ferenc Ko˝ szeg. MAJOR SPONSORS OF THE ERRC Swedish International Development Agency | Open Society Institute | Microsoft Hungary (special licence status) GOING NOWHERE? WESTERN BALKAN ROMA AND EU VISA LIBERALISATION 1, 2014 CHALLENGING DISCRIMINATION PROMOTING EQUALITY CHALLENGING DISCRIMINATION PROMOTING EQUALITY 1, 2014 Guest editor: PROF. ELSPETH GUILD Editor team: KIERAN O’REILLY AND MAREK SZILVASI Layout: DZAVIT BERISHA © July 2014 European Roma Rights Centre ISSN 1417-1503. The opinions expressed in authored pieces are not necessarily those of the European Roma Rights Centre. The contents of this journal may be reproduced or disseminated on condition that the source is mentioned and that reproduction and dissemination is free of charge and for non-commercial purposes. All other uses of the contents require the express written consent of the ERRC. The ERRC requests that three copies of any SUPPORT THE ERRC reproduction be sent to the editors. The European Roma Rights Centre is dependent upon the generosity of individual Roma Rights is published in Budapest, Hungary, by the European Roma Rights Centre. donors for its continued existence. Please join in enabling its future with a contribution. Gifts of all sizes are welcome and can be made via PAYPAL on the Address: 1077 Budapest, Wesselényi utca 16, Hungary ERRC website (www.errc.org, click on the Donate button at the top right of the Office Tel: +36 1 413 2200 home page) or bank transfer to the ERRC account: Office Fax: +36 1 413 2201 E-mail: [email protected] Bank name: BUDAPEST BANK www.errc.org Bank address: BÁTHORI UTCA 1, 1054 HUNGARY Bank account holder: EUROPEAN ROMA RIGHTS CENTRE Cover photo: © European Roma Rights Centre – Unofficial mark on passport of USD bank account number: 99P00-422686 Romani Macedonian man, indicating that he was prevented from crossing the border (USD IBAN: HU21-10103173-40268600-00000998) and should not be allowed cross in the near future. EUR bank account number: 30P00-402686 (EUR IBAN: HU21-10103173-40268600-00000998) Design: Anikó Székffy SWIFT (or BIC) code: BUDAHUHB Printed by: Molnár és Faragó Bt., Budapest, Hungary Table of Contents INTRODUCTION Foreword Stephan Muller 3 NOTEBOOK Potential Romani Migrants from the Western Balkans Stoyanka Cherkezova 5 Romani Minorities and the Variety of Migration Patterns in the Post-Yugoslav Space Julija Sardelic 15 Macedonia – Creating a Padlocked Cage for Roma Called “Measures for False Asylum Seekers” Tefik Mahmut, Zoran Bikovski 23 Romani Migration Resulting in Statelessness: The Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina Maylis de Verneuil 27 Residence: Nowhere Barbara Pierro, Emma Ferulano, and Kitti Baracsi 35 The Challenge Romani Migration Presents to EU Societies Andriani Papadopoulou 43 The Pursuit of “Happiness” Elisabetta Vivaldi 53 Romani Migration: Is it a Poverty-Coping Method? Ilir Gedeshi, Eralba Cela, Geron Kamberi 61 Blitzverfahren - German Asylum Procedures for Roma from Western Balkan Countries Helene Heuser 71 Counting on Confusion: Romani Asylum-Seekers in the German Media, 2012-2013 Christina E. Lee 79 Romani Migration in the EU: the Dutch Case of Setting Boundaries Peter Jorna 87 Expanding the Analytic Lens - Potential Approaches in Migration Studies Erzsébet Anita Német, Csaba Oláh 97 Report from the Belgrade Workshop on Romani Migration and Visa Liberalisation Manuel Spornberger 103 CASE REVIEWS How to Litigate Strategically: Challenging Restrictions on the Rights of Roma in the Western Balkans to Leave their Countries Adam Weiss 107 Case Summary and Commentary Adam Weiss 111 BOOK REVIEWS Gypsies and Travellers in Housing: the Decline of Nomadism, by David Smith and Margaret Greenfields Reviewed by Giovanni Picker (CEU-IAS) 113 Gypsies and Travellers: Empowerment and Inclusion in British Society, Joanna Richardson and Andrew Ryder, eds Reviewed by Márton Rövid 114 Social Benefits and Migration: A Contested Relationship and Policy Challenge in the EU, Elspeth Guild, Sergio Carrera and Katharina Eisele, eds Reviewed by Adam Weiss 115 Vzdelanie ako limit? (Education as a limit?) by Sergej Danilov Reviewed by Michal Zálešák 116 I Met Lucky People: The Story of the Romani Gypsies, by Yaron Matras Reviewed by Marcello Cassanelli 117 GOING NOWHERE? WESTERN BALKAN ROMA AND EU VISA LIBERALISATION Foreword STEPHAN MULLER The migration of Roma from Southeast Europe into Eu- measures to prevent Roma from leaving their home coun- ropean Union (EU) Member States or of Roma making tries and moving to Western Europe. use of freedom of movement within the EU easily makes headlines all over Europe. Their actual situation, the rea- The public discussion is primarily about how to stop this sons for their migration and the (illegal) initiatives of some migration; however, it hardly ever discusses seriously why countries to stop this migration are much less likely to Roma leave their countries of origin in large numbers. make the headlines. Moreover, we should not forget that we also have a mi- gration of Roma from EU Member States (Hungary and On the other hand, irresponsible politicians and media Slovakia) to Canada and the United States or that, 15 years outlets in Western Europe make use of racist attitudes after the end of the conflict, tens of thousands of Roma, within large parts of the population and present the migra- Ashkali and Egyptians from Kosovo are still displaced tion of Roma into or within the EU as a major security within the countries of the Western Balkans. issue that can endanger the stability of receiving countries and threaten their social security systems. These politicians The ERRC organised a workshop on Roma Migration – and media are not only aware that the reality is different Western Balkans and the EU Visa Liberalisation Dialogue and that the migration of Roma to Western Europe does in autumn 2013, inviting experts and scholars working on not present a threat to their countries, but are also aware of different aspects of the migration of Roma from countries the fact that Roma can still be easily used as scapegoats and in the Western Balkans. This edition compiles the contri- that the presence of Roma from Western Balkan countries butions from that workshop. or other EU Member States could be (mis-)used in order to limit freedom of movement. Two complementary articles examine migration patterns in the Western Balkans. Stoyanka Cherkezova looks at the Recently the focus of the public has been on Roma from attitudes, motives and profiles of potential migrants from Romania and Bulgaria. Since 1 January 2014, citizens of Ro- the Western