The European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) and Praxis respectfully submitted their written comments concerning Serbia for consideration by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) at its Concluding Observations of the 74th Session, which will be held from 16 January to 3 February 2017. The ERRC and Praxis have undertaken regular monitoring of the human rights situation of Roma in Serbia and this report reflects the current priorities in our work in Serbia.

According to current official estimates, Roma in Serbia make up approximately 2.05% of the total population or 147,604 Roma. This makes Roma the second largest minority after Hungarians. However, a verified and accurate count remains elusive. Unofficial sources suggest that the number of Roma in Serbia is significantly higher, ranging between 250,000 to 500,000.

In addition to the autochthonous groups, approximately 4,000 – 50,000 Roma fled during and after the conflict in Kosovo to Serbia; only half of whom registered as internally displaced persons (IDPs). However, it is not known if all of them remained in Serbia or left for destination in Western Europe. Furthermore, thousands of Roma have been returned to Serbia from Western European countries in the last years as failed asylum seekers; including Roma who were originally from Kosovo.

Roma are the youngest ethnic group in Serbia. The average age is 27.5 years, compared to 40.2 years among the general Serbian population. According to UNICEF, the primary school completion rate for non-Roma children is 94.5% and the transition rate to secondary school is 96.5%, while for Roma children the primary school completion rate considerably lower - 63%, while the numbers for secondary school for Roma youngsters is even lower - 55.5%.

Illiteracy rates range between age groups from 13.7% amongst adolescents to 57.2% among the elderly. Romani women are extremely disadvantaged when it comes to education achievements; illiteracy is estimated to reach up to 80%.

The submitted comments can be accessed HERE.

On the occasion of the completion of the project “Legal Assistance to Persons at Risk of Statelessness in Serbia”, funded by UNHCR, Praxis held a conference on 20 December 2016, with an idea to point at problems and challenges faced by the Roma community in access to status rights, and to present the activities carried out in the field of child, early and forced marriages. Praxis presented also the reports “Analysis of the Procedures for Determining the Date and Place of Birth and for the Exercise of the Rights to Citizenship and Registration of Permanent Residence” and “Child, Early and Forced Marriages are Not a Private Family Matter”.

Through the presentation of the report “Analysis of the Procedures for Determining the Date and Place of Birth and for the Exercise of the Rights to Citizenship and Registration of Permanent Residence”, the representatives of Praxis once again drew the attention to the problems that have been impeding the access to the rights to birth registration, citizenship and registration of permanent residence for years. The problems are illustrated by the examples of irregular acting identified in the procedures of provision of free legal aid. At the same time, the progress made in this field over the past few years was highlighted, since the amendments of the applicable and adoption of new regulations provided for the possibility to register in birth registries and register permanent residence for the persons who had not been able to do it before. In addition, as it is stated in the report, the competent ministries issued relevant opinions and instructions to the competent bodies in order to unify the proceeding practice, and training for professionals who conduct procedures have been organized for several years. 

During the presentation of another report “Child, Early and Forced Marriages are Not a Private Family Matter”, the title of which clearly indicates that this phenomenon must not be a private family thing, but it is serious violation of the rights of the child and gender-based discrimination, the problems of child, early and forced marriages were defined and Praxis activities on prevention and elimination of child, early and forced marriages were presented.  Also, the proposed policies aimed at prevention and elimination of child, early and forced marriages were presented. It was also indicated which level of authorities should be responsible, and added that most of the recommendations may be implemented at the level of local self-governance by single acting of professionals in their fields of work.  

The presentation of reports was concluded with the discussion of the participants who emphasized the importance of joint and coordinated acting at all levels, which should include the conclusion of formal agreements on joint acting, with the note that holistic approach to the problems is the guarantee of success, regardless of whether it is the exercise or prevention of the violation of rights. 

Jelena Petrović, Praxis Child Rights Programme Coordinator, participated in the show "Our Children" and spoke about the situation of legally invisible children and about child, early and forced marriages. Nevena Vučković Šahović (Union), Saša Gajin (CUPS) and Dragana Ćirić Milovanović (MDRI-S) spoke about discrimination of vulnerable children.

You can see the show at this link.

“I lived in Raqqa, Syria, with my family. Before the war, I worked as a carpenter, I had my own handicraft shop, the business was going well, there was money, and we lived very well. The entire Raqqa lived very well; people were not even thinking about politics. Then the war started between Assad and the Free Syrian Army, the bombs were dropped every day. We were scared to go out in the street, to stay at home; you never knew where the bomb would fall. Then the poverty started, the business stopped. Dollar rose twelvefold, people were starving to death. But we were still not thinking about leaving. It would stop, we thought, it would pass, it was our home after all. Then ISIS came. “

Ahmad (37), Belgrade, October 2016

On the occasion of December 18, International Migrants Day, we would like to point out to the importance of protecting the rights of migrants, as well as to highlight that the problems migrants are facing all over the world, are the same problems they are facing in our immediate surrounding too.

Ten years after the adoption of the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, to highlight the importance of these rights, in 2000 the United Nations General Assembly declared this day as the International Migrants Day. Sixteen years later, while we are faced with one of the greatest migrant crises in a modern history, marking this day seems more important than ever.

During the past two years, thousands of migrants died trying to reach the countries of the European Union. On their way, migrants have been exposed to the arbitrary violence, beatings, exhausting and uncertain journey through the often hardly passable areas, to smugglers, severe weather conditions and to the absence of any security.

According to the Ministry of Interior, from the beginning of the migrant crisis around 900,000 people passed through Serbia. According to UNHCR estimates, around 6,900 refugees/migrants are in Serbia at the moment. Every day we witness their stories.

Unfortunately, at the same time, with the growing number of migrants, we also witness the rise of anti-immigrant sentiment and rhetoric, hate speech and xenophobic, racist actions. By marking this day, we would like to remind that the migration has always been inherent to humanity, and that the movement of people has significantly contributed to global development, be it in culture, science or economic progress. More importantly, for most migrants whom we met in the past two years, just like Ahmad, the decision to leave their home had been imposed, and thus one of the most difficult decisions they had ever taken. Yet, their journey of difficult decisions is inseparable part of our journey. While providing support to migrants and taking a stand for their rights, we also stand out for respect of rights of every person, the rights of each one of us.

Praxis released Protection Monitoring Report for the period from 16 October to 30 November 2016.

At the beginning of November the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs sent an Open Letter to international humanitarian and non-governmental organizations, stating that it was unacceptable that organizations provide food and NFI assistance in the centre or encourage migrants to reside outside designated asylum and reception centres, particularly on the territory of Belgrade. With the removal of Info Park hub at the end of October, and suspension of food distribution in Miksaliste following the Open Letter, food is now provided between the barracks only by organization Hot Food Idomeni, distributing 900 portions a day per lunch. In addition, there is no distribution of NFIs in the field, even though there is a great need for winter shoes and clothes in particular. Therefore, the humanitarian situation in Belgrade is more concerning than ever, with around 1,000 refugees and migrants sleeping rough in Belgrade central parks and barracks behind the Bus Station, several hundreds of them being unaccompanied minors, in extremely poor hygienic conditions, with almost no assistance provided. In addition, Hungary reduced the number of persons it admits to only 20 per day, weekends excluded. At the same time, the capacities of the asylum and reception centres in Serbia are almost full, including the capacities of AC Krnjaca which are overstretched. 

Furthermore, following the Open Letter, at the beginning of November there was an attempt to relocate the refugees from the barracks, organized by the State. There was no force used during the attempted relocation and those who agreed to be relocated did so voluntarily. However, the attempted relocation took place in the middle of the night, without information about it being provided in advance. Refugees were not informed about it, some panicked and got injured trying to run away, while they were not told where they would be going. In regards to this, Praxis joined other international and local organizations and sent a joint letter to the Working Group for solving the problems of mixed migration flows of the GoS, offering  continued support to the relocation process and giving suggestions to make the process more transparent and ensure that refugees’ rights are respected.

In the reporting period, Praxis provided a total of 2,272 refugees and migrants (new arrivals) with timely and adequate information (1,345 adults and 927 children). Out of this number, 1,137 persons, 50% of all informed refugees, were from Afghanistan (647 adults and 490 children), the same as in the previous period, with a great number of Afghan families arriving. A total of 266 beneficiaries we served were from Syria (almost 12%, 151 adults and 115 children), mainly families, significantly less than in the previous period. A total of 587 were from Iraq (26%, 315 adults and 272 children), mainly families, which is a significant increase. A total of 142 persons were from Pakistan (6%, almost all single males), while 140 beneficiaries (6%) from other countries, including Iran, Algeria, etc. 

Download the Report HERE.

- Can you imagine walking down the street with your wife and not knowing whether the religious police would think that she is not covered enough? If they think so, they would start shouting “infidels, infidels”, take your wife away from the street and take her to prison immediately. There is absolutely nothing you can do.

Ahmad (37), Syria

- There were 4 grades in that school, 4 classes in each grade, and 30 students in each class. Over time, only one class for each grade remained, with less than 20 students in it. Some of them managed to leave the city, but unfortunately, many of them lost their lives. Bombing and fighting became an everyday reality. After a few months, we could tell the difference between various types of bombs, we could tell from where and who was bombing us. We learned what bombs were more dangerous, which one could demolish the whole building. We had all this new unwanted knowledge. Every time I heard bombs, I was running to Yara’s school. I didn’t know if I was going to find her alive.

Samar (43), Syria

On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, we ask ourselves where the universal human rights begin and where they end. 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted on 10 December 1948, in response to the massive human rights violations during the Second World War. This document, to which values we remind each other of, on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, for the first time in history recognized the rights of all people to "life, liberty and safety ... without any distinction". Pervading principles of human rights, highlighted in the Universal Declaration, are those of equality, non-discrimination, the inalienable rights, and everyone’s responsibility, universality which does not exclude diversity, human dignity, indivisibility and interdependence of all human rights.

However, the main words of this announcement are left to individuals whom we encounter within our daily work, trying to illustrate how true, relevant and applicable the articles of the Declaration are, here and now. Stories that we encounter, while dealing with the protection of and assistance to refugees, do not allow us not to ask ourselves what the Universal Declaration means to a family without shelter, which freezes in the open for days, starves and fears from forced deportation. What is the value of this document for thousands of people waiting in front of closed borders, to those who, sleeping in the crumbling warehouses in Belgrade in the middle of winter,, to families with children waiting outside the police station for hours or days to express their intention to seek asylum? How to understand the Declaration on the eve of the collective expulsion of refugees from the borders on the route, beatings and arbitrary violations of their basic rights? What does Declaration really guarantee to individuals on the margins of protection, security, dignity? 

Universal human rights end with Ahmad and his wife. They end with Samar. They end each time we allow ourselves to forget where the rights really begin. The rights start right here. In an office or a coffee shop in which you are reading this announcement. In a house, a shop, a tram. Universal rights, as Eleanor Roosevelt claimed, start at small places. In the street across the road. In places that are not seen as “the world”, but which represent the world of a single individual. They begin in the neighboring yard, school, factory, at the railway station where groups of refugees seek a shelter from the wind and cold during a December night. They begin in small places, where each of us should strive towards equality, social justice and life in dignity for all, without discrimination. If these rights are meaningless here, in small places close to us, they cannot be significant elsewhere. Without the initiative of each of us, be it socio-political or simply humane, without the joint action, with which we take a stand for values of human rights, here and now, in our immediate environment, the idea of universal rights becomes almost meaningless.