More on Roma

[Ivo Skoric]

Violence against Kosovo Roma in Macedonia was precipitated by 
UNHCR's poor judgement, says this comment:

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I would like to add some more information to the situation of 
Kosovo Roma, Ashkalia and Egyptian refugees in Macedonia. 
During 1999/2000 I was managing the Roma Community Center, 
which was around 500 meters from the Collective Center mentioned 
in the text. In fact, I know that collective since UNHCR has started 
building it, and later, many of the refugees for the center used our 
services. Although it was clear that Kosovo Roma cannot go back 
to their homes, UNHCR cut their budget per capita and for the 
building of the collective center and had no plans for a long- term 
solution. "Advises" of the UNHCR "to seek alternate 
accommodation" with a very limited help or no help from UNHCR is 
a bad idea. As it was a bad idea (also from UNHCR) for 
repatriation. Just for short info, some Roma people tried to do so 
and were killed in Kosovo. To be clear, Macedonia economically is 
sinking and has no capacity (money) to accommodate nor to build 
shelters in a long run (not even in a short run) without an 
international help. The (small) budget of the Ministry for Social 
Affairs was already empty with accommodating the Kosovo 
Albanian refugees. This Ministry and UNHCR were sort of partners 
in running the collective center, but we know who was the real 
boss! Macedonia has a high rate of unemployment, officially at that 
time 33%, but I would say at least 45%. And guess what! The first 
resistance toward Roma people from Kosovo came from Roma 
people from Macedonia! The were cases, as far as I know, of 
organized resistance. Why? Local Roma were afraid they will get 
nothing, knowing that mighty international "helpers" will do half of a 
poor job (see the case of Roma come back from Westphalia further 
in the text) and the "self-conf As a result, the Collective Center was 
poorly done since the very beginning (no rain drains, only a small 
room per family, bad sanitation - toilets and bathrooms like very 
small cabins made of metal with very limited supply of hot water),  
which was pointed out to UNHCR, at least by the local and 
international non profits I know about. No wonder why there was 
increase of infectious diseases. UNHCR, not the Macedonian 
government forbid the entrance of international and local NGO's to 
enter the center and offer services. Indeed, there were some intl 
NGO's who were not clear with their agenda, but there were 
completely competent NGO's which could provide qualitative 
services. International NGO's, which provided psycho-social 
services, submitted a letter to the head of UNHCR, but he did not 
respond at all. The only organizations allowed inside were 
International Medical Corps and Macedonian Red Cross, which 
services were not enough or some were lacking. Later on, UNHCR 
loosened a bit, with the effort made from the intl and local NGO's, 
and the refugees started using the services of the Community 
Center, so they can work on their traumas and build up vocational 
skills. As a matter of fact, we (the Community Center) had a good 
cooperation with the people appointed from the Macedonian Red 
Cross and Ministry of Social Affairs. Ms. Petrova mentions Article 
12(2) of the International Convention on Civil and political Rights. I 
am wondering, then, why Northern Raina Westphalia, just to get rid 
of Roma people seeking for asylum there, build badly done small 
houses in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia ("forgetting" to build a 
sewing system!), and sent all Roma back. Please, visit Shuto 
Orizari Municipality, specially Vietnamska Street, and you will see 
them. This text is NOT ment to protect the Macedonian authorities. 
Many things have to be changed. There are still prejudices against 
Roma people in Macedonia. I wanted to point out at some 
important obligations of the international factors that are quickly 
mentioned without any elaboration or not mentioned at all. Erik 
Tanchorov, 1999 assistant manager of the Community Center 
ROSH 2000 manager of the Community Center ROSH 22 
Vietnamska Street, Shuto Orizari Municipality, Skopje, Macedonia  



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