PROFILE OF INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT : SERBIA & MONTENEGRO Compilation of the information available in the Global IDP Database of the Norwegian Refugee Council (as of 27 September, 2005) Also available at http://www.idpproject.org Users of this document are welcome to credit the Global IDP Database for the collection of information. The opinions expressed here are those of the sources and are not necessarily shared by the Global IDP Project or NRC Norwegian Refugee Council/Global IDP Project Chemin de Balexert, 7-9 1219 Geneva - Switzerland Tel: + 41 22 799 07 00 Fax: + 41 22 799 07 01 E-mail : [email protected] CONTENTS CONTENTS 1 PROFILE SUMMARY 8 IDPS FROM KOSOVO: STUCK BETWEEN UNCERTAIN RETURN PROSPECTS AND DENIAL OF LOCAL INTEGRATION 8 CAUSES AND BACKGROUND 12 BACKGROUND 12 THE CONFLICT IN KOSOVO (1981-1999): INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FINALLY IMPOSES AUTONOMY OF THE PROVINCE TO YUGOSLAV AUTHORITIES 12 OUSTING OF PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC OPENS NEW ERA OF DEMOCRACY (2000-2003) 14 DJINDJIC ASSASSINATION THREATENS CONTINUATION OF SERBIA’S REFORMS (2003) 15 KOSOVO UNDER INTERNATIONAL ADMINISTRATION (2003) 16 BACKGROUND TO THE CONFLICT IN SOUTHERN SERBIA (2000-2005) 18 UNCERTAINTY AROUND FINAL STATUS ISSUE HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON DISPLACEMENT AND RETURN (2005) 21 CAUSES OF DISPLACEMENT 23 DISPLACEMENT BEFORE AND DURING NATO INTERVENTION (1998-1999) 23 MASSIVE RETURN OF KOSOVO ALBANIANS SINCE END OF NATO INTERVENTION (FROM JUNE 1999) 26 LARGE SCALE DISPLACEMENT OF ETHNIC MINORITIES FOLLOWING THE NATO INTERVENTION (1999) 26 DISPLACEMENT CAUSED BY THE ARMED CONFLICT BETWEEN THE SERBIAN FORCES AND ETHNIC ALBANIAN REBELS IN THE PRESEVO VALLEY (2000-2001) 28 ETHNIC ALBANIANS FORCED TO LEAVE SERB ENCLAVES IN KOSOVO (2000-2002) 29 REFUGEES RETURNING TO KOSOVO FACE RISK OF INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT (2000-2002) 31 FORCED DISPLACEMENT ALSO AFFECTS OTHER MINORITY GROUPS IN KOSOVO (2001-2002) 33 MARCH 2004: ETHNIC VIOLENCE LEADS TO A NEW WAVE OF DISPLACEMENT (2004) 34 PERVASIVE INSECURITY CONTINUES TO FORCE ETHNIC MINORITIES IN KOSOVO TO LEAVE THEIR HOME AREAS (2000-2005) 36 INCREASING NUMBER OF FORCED RETURN REINFORCES THE RISK OF SECONDARY DISPLACEMENT (2005) 38 THE ETHNIC MINORITIES IN KOSOVO 41 THE SERBIAN POPULATION IN KOSOVO: 100,000 PERSONS AS OF END OF 1999 (2004) 41 ROMA, ASHKAELIA AND EGYPTIANS IN KOSOVO 43 OTHER ETHNIC MINORITIES IN KOSOVO 44 POPULATION FIGURES AND PROFILE 46 OVERVIEW 46 BACKGROUND AND NUMBERS (SPECIAL REPORT, 2005) 46 SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (EXCLUDING KOSOVO) 47 SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO HOSTS SOME 226,000 PERSONS DISPLACED FROM KOSOVO (2005) 47 SETTLEMENT AND ACCOMMODATION PATTERNS (2003) 51 MOST IDPS MOVED TO SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 1999 (2002) 53 DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF IDPS IN SERBIA: GENDER BALANCE AND PREVALENCE OF YOUNGER AGE GROUPS (2000) 54 LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED POPULATION IN SERBIA (2000) 56 GEOGRAPHICAL ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE INTERNALLY DISPLACED POPULATION IN SERBIA: FROM PRISTINA TO BELGRADE (2000) 57 KOSOVO 58 AVAILABLE FIGURES SUGGEST AT LEAST 22,200 PERSONS ARE INTERNALLY DISPLACED WITHIN KOSOVO (2004) 59 ABOUT 4,000 IDPS LIVE IN COLLECTIVE CENTRES AS OF NOVEMBER 2002 60 ABOUT 36,000 PERSONS ARE INTERNALLY DISPLACED IN KOSOVO AS THE RESULT OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS AND CONFLICT (UNHCR - DECEMBER 2000 - FEBRUARY 2001) 60 DISPLACEMENT AS THE RESULT OF THE KOSOVO CONFLICT (MARCH-JUNE 1999): NO RELIABLE ESTIMATES FOR THE PERSONS STILL UNABLE TO RETURN TO DESTROYED HOUSES (2000-2001) 61 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT 62 OVERVIEW 62 PATTERNS OF DISPLACEMENT (SPECIAL REPORT, 2005) 62 CURRENT DISPLACEMENT PROCESSES 64 MARCH 2004 VIOLENCE CONSOLIDATES ETHNIC SEPARATION (2004) 64 SMALL-SCALE BUT STEADY DISPLACEMENT FROM AND WITHIN KOSOVO (2000-2001) 66 VOLATILITY OF THE SITUATION IN THE PRESEVO VALLEY CAUSES REPEATED DISPLACEMENTS (2000-2001) 68 MULTIPLE DISPLACEMENT 68 DISPLACED IN SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO CHANGE ACCOMMODATION SEVERAL TIMES (1999- 2005) 68 GLOOMY ECONOMIC PROSPECTS AND LACK OF ACCESS TO RIGHTS PUSH IDPS INTO SECONDARY DISPLACEMENT WITHIN SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (2000-2005) 69 DISPLACED RETURNING FROM SERBIA TO KOSOVO TO SITUATIONS OF INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT (1999-2000) 70 REFUGEES FROM CROATIA AND BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA WHO HAD BEEN SETTLED IN KOSOVO FORCED TO LEAVE AGAIN (1999-2001) 71 OTHER FACTORS 72 "ETHNIC CONCENTRATION" PROCESS IN KOSOVO (2005) 72 DISPLACEMENT FURTHERS MIGRATION TO URBAN AREAS IN KOSOVO, EXCEPT FOR THE SERB MINORITY (2004) 74 PHYSICAL SECURITY & FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT 76 OVERVIEW 76 SECURITY AND FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AFTER THE MARCH 2004 VIOLENCE (SPECIAL REPORT, 2005) 76 2 SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (EXCLUDING KOSOVO) 76 IDPS IN SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO FACE RESTRICTIONS TO THEIR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT (2001-2005) 76 HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS IN KOSOVO ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY ACCESSIBLE TO IDPS IN SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (2001-2002) 78 A GROUP OF SPECIAL CONCERN: DISPLACED ROMA (2001-2003) 78 ARMED VIOLENCE CONTINUES IN SOUTHERN SERBIA (2001-2002) 79 MINES IN SOUTHERN SERBIA: A RISK FOR CHILDREN (2001) 80 KOSOVO 80 DESPITE PROGRESS, MINORITY COMMUNITIES STILL FEEL UNSECURE IN KOSOVO (2005) 80 SECURITY CONCERNS: OVERVIEW BY MINORITY AND VULNERABLE GROUP (2005) 81 MARCH 2004: THE MOST SERIOUS OUTBURST OF VIOLENCE SINCE 1999 (2005) 84 MARCH 2004 VIOLENCE SEVERELY AFFECTED FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT (2005) 86 INSECURITY REMAINS A MAJOR THREAT FOR MINORITIES IN KOSOVO (2002-2003) 89 MINORITIES' FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT STILL SEVERELY RESTRICTED (2003) 94 KFOR AND UNMIK MODIFY SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS (2002-2003) 95 SUBSISTENCE NEEDS 96 OVERVIEW 96 ACCESS TO RIGHTS IN SERBIA (SPECIAL REPORT 2005) 96 ACCESS TO RIGHTS IN MONTENEGRO (SPECIAL REPORT, 2005) 97 PARTICULAR VULNERABILITY OF DISPLACED ROMA (SPECIAL REPORT 2005) 98 SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (EXCLUDING KOSOVO) 99 DESPITE VARIOUS SPECIAL SOCIAL BENEFITS, IDPS HAVE NO ADEQUATE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE (2001-2005) 99 LIVING CONDITIONS AND LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTH LEAVE ROMA WITH POOR HEALTH CONDITION (2005) 102 HEALTH STATUS OF THE DISPLACED IS DETERIORATING (2000-2002) 103 GOVERNMENT’S PLAN TO CLOSE COLLECTIVE CENTRES IS NOT SUPPORTED AS A DURABLE HOUSING SOLUTION FOR IDPS (2005) 105 THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF IDPS LIVE IN PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION (2005) 106 SUBSTANDARD SHELTER AND HEALTH CONDITIONS FOR THE ROMA DISPLACED (2001-2005) 107 ELDERLY IDPS IN COLLECTIVE CENTRES: HELPAGE REPORT SUGGESTS NEED FOR HUMANITARIAN AND DEVELOPMENTAL ASSISTANCE (2000-2001) 110 KOSOVO 113 ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE IS RESTRICTED BY LIMITED FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND URBANISATION (2002-2005) 113 ROMA IDP LEAD POISONING IN NORTH MITROVICA ILLUSTRATES ROMA’S DISASTROUS HEALTH AND SHELTER CONDITIONS (2005) 116 RECONSTRUCTION NEEDS OF IDPS ARE BETTER TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT (2005) 119 HIGH LEVEL OF DESTRUCTION AND POPULATION INFLUX LEAVE MANY WITHOUT PROPER SHELTER IN KOSOVO (1999-2000) 121 ACCESS TO EDUCATION 123 OVERVIEW 123 ACCESS TO EDUCATION (SPECIAL REPORT, 2005) 123 SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (EXCLUDING KOSOVO) 123 3 INFLUX OF IDPS HAS PUT EXTRAORDINARY PRESSURE ON ALREADY DETERIORATED SCHOOL SYSTEM (2000-2005) 123 EDUCATION OF ROMA DISPLACED CHILDREN: CULTURAL, PRACTICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS TO SCHOOL ATTENDANCE (2005) 124 LACK OF ATTENTION GIVEN TO DISPLACED ADOLESCENTS (2001) 127 KOSOVO 129 ETHNIC MINORITY CHILDREN FACE DIFFICULT SCHOOLING CONDITIONS (2002-2005) 129 CREATION OF A SEPARATE UNIVERSITY STRUCTURE FOR KOSOVO SERB STUDENTS (2001-2002) 132 ISSUES OF SELF-RELIANCE AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 133 OVERVIEW 133 SELF-RELIANCE AND PARTICIPATION (SPECIAL REPORT, 2005) 133 ACCESS TO JUSTICE (SPECIAL REPORT, 2005) 133 SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (EXCLUDING KOSOVO) 134 IDPS FACE HUGE DIFFICULTIES IN ACCESS TO EMPLOYMENT IN PARTICULAR IN MONTENEGRO (2005) 134 POVERTY STATUS OF IDPS HAS DETERIORATED SINCE 2003 (2005) 137 ICRC CASH ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME TO IDPS: A INTERESTING ATTEMPT TO INCREASE IDP SELF- RELIANCE (2005) 140 MARGINALISATION OF ROMA IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED THROUGH SOCIETAL EFFORTS TO REMOVE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THIS GROUP (2005) 142 EFFORTS IN SERBIA TO ADDRESS THE PLIGHT OF ROMA (2004) 144 ROMA IN MONTENEGRO ARE NOT RECOGNISED AS A MINORITY (2005) 145 NEED TO IMPROVE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION AMONG THE DISPLACED COMMUNITY (2001- 2002) 146 RELOCATED COURTS DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR IDPS FROM KOSOVO (2005) 148 RIGHT TO VOTE OF IDPS VARIES DEPENDING ON THE REPUBLIC THEY LIVE IN (2004) 149 KOSOVO 152 MINORITIES FACE LACK OF ACCESS TO LABOUR MARKETS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS (2002-2003) 152 DESPITE PROGRESS MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN CIVIL SERVICE REMAINS UNSATISFACTORY (2005) 154 ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR MINORITY MEMBERS IS AFFECTED BY LIMITED FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT, FUNCTIONAL PROBLEMS OF THE JUDICIARY AND LACK OF TRUST IN KOSOVO INSTITUTIONS (2005) 156 ACCESS TO PUBLIC UTILITIES FOR MINORITIES: REPORTS OF DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES (2001- 2002) 159 SOCIAL SERVICES BARELY FUNCTION IN MINORITY AREAS (2002-2003) 160 VERY LOW PARTICIPATION OF KOSOVO SERBS IN THE KOSOVO ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS (2005) 161 ACCESS OF MINORITIES TO THE ELECTORAL PROCESS (2005) 163 DOCUMENTATION NEEDS AND CITIZENSHIP 167 OVERVIEW 167 ACCESS TO DOCUMENTATION AND IDP STATUS (SPECIAL REPORT 2005) 167 SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (EXCLUDING KOSOVO) 167 4 BUREAUCRATIC OBSTACLES COMPLICATE ISSUANCE OF DOCUMENTS TO THE DISPLACED OUTSIDE KOSOVO (2001-2005) 167 DISPLACED ROMA FACE SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES IN ACCESSING DOCUMENTS WHICH AFFECT IDP REGISTRATION AND ACCESS TO RIGHTS (2005) 170 ISSUES RELATED TO IDP STATUS IN SERBIA (2005)