Country: Serbia

Group: Roma

Date: 04/27/2021

Team: Abigail Pentecost (lead), Thomas Chia, Hannah Goldman

          There is sufficient evidence to show that the Serbian government has forced Roma people away from their homes in Serbia.

The Roma people are the third largest ethnic group in Serbia with an estimated 300,000 and 430,000 people living in present day Serbia, although due to poor record keeping and fear of self-identifying due to the resulting discrimination, this number may be significantly higher (Minority Rights Group, 2015). Roma in Serbia are regarded by the government as second class citizens, facing violence and trouble finding steady employment, stable education, and safe homes. Roma make up “90% of all asylum seekers from Serbia” (Rujevic, 2015). In 2009, approximately 250 Roma were internally displaced when the makeshift shelters they occupied were destroyed and they were forcibly evicted by Serbian police forces. (Amnesty International, 2009; Kushen, 2009). There have been many Roma people removed from their homes in Kosovo.

          The data quality for this group can be rated as a 2. There is evidence of the group being forced out of their homes, although there is a lack of sources that talk in specific detail about the Roma people in Serbia, rather it discusses issues the Roma face throughout Europe.

Sources