Marek Antoni Nowicki, Ombudsperson
OMBUDSPERSON INSTITUTION in KOSOVO
INSTITUCIONI I OMBUDSPERSONIT në KOSOVËINSTITUCIJA OMBUDSPERSONA na KOSOVU
Address: Agim Ramadani  Str. (Ex "Kosovodrvo" building), Pristina, Kosovo
web site: www.ombudspersonkosovo.org

18 May 2004

Mr. Patrick Dewael, Minister of the Interior of Belgium
Mr. Bertel Haarder, Minister for Refugees, Immigration, Integration and European Affairs of Denmark
Mr. Otto Schily, Minister of the Interior of Germany
Ms. Erna Solberg, Minister of Local Government and Regional Development of Norway
Ms. Barbro Holmberg, Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy of Sweden
Ms. Rita Verdonk, Minister for Immigration and Integration of the Netherlands

Dear Sir/Madam,
 
I am writing to you on behalf of certain refugees from Kosovo of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian ethnicity currently staying in your country.
 
For some time now, I have been receiving information that your country, along with other European states hosting Roma and Ashkali refugees from Kosovo, still intends to return these persons to Kosovo in the near future.
 
Bearing in mind the current situation in Kosovo, I strongly advise you to reconsider such a plan. Apart from the miserable conditions in which most Roma and Ashkali live here and the high unemployment, which affects members of ethnic minorities even more than members of the Albanian majority, the security situation is far from being such as to allow persons of Roma or Ashkali ethnicity to lead a peaceful and safe life.
 
Instead of improving, the situation for ethnic minorities here has recently gotten worse and neither UNMIK nor the local police are able to adequately guarantee these persons¹ safety. This was effectively demonstrated by the recent riots that took place on 17 ­ 20 March 2004, when a violent and angry mob conducted organised attacks not only against members of the Serbian minority, but also against other persons of non-Albanian ethnicity. In the town of Vushtrri/Vucitrn in central Kosovo, for example, all Ashkali families were forcibly expelled from their homes, which were then burned by a violent mob. These persons have no place to go and are currently staying at a French KFOR base. The security situation is so grave that they are not able to move around Kosovo without being accompanied by an escort.  
 
Based on the above, but also on a day to day assessment of the situation in Kosovo, I consider that returning Roma and Ashkali persons to Kosovo at this moment would involve considerable risks for their personal safety and would violate international human rights standards. I therefore urge you to seriously re-evaluate your position on sending these people back to Kosovo, at least for a certain period of time.
 
Considering the importance of this matter, I trust that you will understand my motivation in raising this question. I look forward to your response and hope that you and other countries hosting persons of Roma and Ashkali ethnicity will find a solution to this problem that will take into proper consideration the rights and interests of all parties involved.
 
 Yours sincerely,
 
 Marek Antoni Nowicki       
 Ombudsperson