After years of displacement the Roma from Roma Mahala in Mitrovicë/a finally have the opportunity to return home. Today a ceremony and official opening of the first phase of reconstruction in Roma Mahala will mark the returns.

The return to Roma Mahala, Mitrovicë/a began on March 2nd. To date 30 families with approximately 100 members have returned to the neighborhood in the South of the divided city of Mitrovicë/a. The return of Roma families to their new houses in their home community represents an exciting development towards rebuilding the Roma Mahala as a vibrant community.

Prior to 1999 Roma Mahala was home to up to 8000 Roma. Due to the conflict in Kosovo, which erupted in 1999, Roma Mahala was destroyed and the community was forced to flee fearing retaliation for alleged cooperation with Serb authorities. Some of the families now reintegrated in Roma Mahala were displaced to lead-contaminated camps in Northern Kosovo; others were displaced to Serbia, Montenegro and Western Europe.

The official opening ceremony is the culmination of a long and complicated process of extensive preparation. The Danish Refugee Council has built 54 houses funded by the European Agency of Reconstruction and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, as part of a project which has also included rehabilitation of parts of the infrastructure network, provision of returns assistance, income generating activities, dialogue activities and support to access social, health and education services and other measures to ensure a life in safety and dignity.

The Danish Refugee Council has been working with displaced Roma from Roma Mahala since December 2003. DRC’s knowledge and longstanding relations with the RAE community are a valuable resource, and DRC hopes to preserve and utilize this resource in the future development of Roma Mahala.  

The return ceremony will be a joint event organized by Danish Refugee Council, Norwegian Church Aid and the Steering Group overseeing returns to Roma Mahala.

For further information please contact:
Michelle Cicic, Project Manager, DRC Mitrovicë/a
E-mail: mitrovica_manager@drc-kosovo.org
Tel. +381 (0)64 456 4907, +377 (0)44 888 856

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