SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS FROM KOSOVO

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS FROM KOSOVO Slobodan Cvejić Marija Babović

ROMA AND NON-ROMA n n The analysis conducted simultaneously for Roma and non-Roma families, due to considerable cultural, economic and social differences among these two groups All surveys show that Serbs have the greatest ethnic distance relative to Roma Furthermore, the majority of Kosovo Roma speak Albanian in addition to their own Roma language There were almost none ethnically mixed marriages in the sample, except between the Serbs and the Montenegrins

ROMA AND NON-ROMA n n n Roma families are larger and younger; they have more children and shorter life expectancy The average of Roma in the sample was 41. 6 years, and of non-Roma 51. 2 The average size of Roma households is 5. 2, and non-Roma 4. 2 members Roma are far worse educated and, relative to non-Roma, this situation does not improve over the generations Roma from the sample are less active, significantly less frequently employed and somewhat less unemployed than the non-Roma

EDUCATION OF IDPs, PERSONS 15+ Non-Roma IDPs better educated than population in 2002 Serbia

IDPs, EDUCATION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN There is not a single Roma university student in the sample. The proportion of students among non-Roma is 4. 7% to the total no. of inhabitants. It was 2. 9% in 2005 Serbia

ROMA AND NON-ROMA, HOUSEHOLD STRUCTURE PER ACTIVITY Roma are considerably less active and less frequently employed than non. Roma

MIGRATION OF IDPs n Chance for migration from villages into towns: 70. 6% lived in urban areas in Kosovo relative to the current 83% n n n This percentage among Roma increased from 78% to 95% Among non-Roma from 70% to 81% Both groups trying to find better chances in more developed markets and better institutional environment After arrival from Kosovo 75. 9% non-Roma and 89. 6% Roma families remained in the same municipality; others migrated once, most often Migrations within Serbia are gradual: n n Those who first came to Bujanovac most often move to Leskovac, from Vranje to Leskovac and Kruševac, from Kragujevac to Belgrade or Kraljevo and from Kraljevo to Belgrade

MIGRATION OF IDPs, DESTINATIONS • Towards Belgrade, larger cities and near Kosovo City % Belgrade 30. 8 Kraljevo 9. 9 Kragujevac 8. 6 Kruševac 8. 4 Niš 7. 3 Smederevo 6. 3 Leskovac 4. 0 Novi Sad 3. 3 Kuršumlija 2. 5 Other 18. 9 Roma are even more concentrated in large cities (41. 3% in Belgrade, most of them in Zemun) and they headed for Vojvodina more often: 12. 9% to Subotica, 10. 7% to Novi Sad, 5. 2% to Zrenjanin

MIGRATION OF IDPs, DESTINATIONS

WISH OF IDPs TO RETURN TO KOSOVO n About one half of respondents would like to go back, but 56. 45% non-Roma and only 20. 5% Roma n n n The wish to return is evenly distributed among different age and educational groups and groups of status of activity Less prone to return are individuals under 30 and those with their own business in Serbia, but these groups are small Rural population is somewhat more prone to return (63. 6% relative to 53. 7% urban) – they own more real estate in Kosovo The absolutely most significant reasons of those who wish to return for not doing so are fear of violence and distrust of Kosovo institutions Among those who wish to remain in Serbia fear and distrust also dominate, but they also state better living conditions in Serbia (employment, schooling, health care, etc. ) as reasons to remain.

PERSONAL DOCUMENTS n The number of IDPs lacking personal documents decreased significantly relative to 2000 – currently, 10. 6% IDPs lack documents (8. 1% non-Roma and 16. 6% Roma) n n n Roma most often lack basic documents such as an identity card, birth certificate, citizenship certificate, health booklet Non-Roma most frequently lack a work booklet, passport, driver’s license and school diploma Only 2. 6% non-Roma and 15. 8% Roma face daily problems due to absence of personal documents – with Roma these are primarily registration of residence and health care 90% Roma encounter problems in obtaining the necessary documents, 2/3 of them due to absence of some other necessary supporting documents Roma are more often assisted by NGOs than by state or local institutions in resolving these problems

HOUSING IN KOSOVO 62% non-Roma and 60% Roma households own a house in Kosovu Around 50% undamaged houses are illegally occupied

HOUSING IN SERBIA, OWNERSHIP STATUS

HOUSING IN SERBIA, TYPE OF HOUSING Although Belgrade is the preferred migratory destination, fewer IDPs own real property in this city than in other urban areas with high concentration of IDPs

SOCIAL PROGRAMS OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS, IN % Social program non. Roma Family financial support (MOP) 1. 3 17. 4 Child allowance 12. 4 17. 8 Humanitarian assistance 2. 1 4. 2 One-off municipality support 2. 0 13. 9

HEALTH INSURANCE OF IDPs Almost all non-Roma IDPs exercise the right to health care. 16% Roma does not exercise this right.

KEY INDICATORS OF LABOUR MARKET STATUS Serbi a Total sex M F IDP non. Roma sex M F IDP Roma sex M F Rate of activity 53. 5 63. 0 44. 6 55. 4 66. 8 43. 2 42. 4 64. 3 19. 8 Employm. rate 42. 3 52. 4 32. 9 35. 0 46. 9 22. 5 29. 6 49. 4 20. 8 16. 8 26. 2 36. 7 29. 8 47. 9 30. 1 23. 1 53. 5 Unemploym. rate Source for general population of Serbia: RSO, ALS, 2006 9. 2

RATES OF ACTIVITY

EMPLOYMENT RATES

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES

EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS n n Non-Roma population – markedly low representation of entrepreneurship and self-employment - 88% work for employers Roma population – informal self-employment dominant – 64% are self-employed Non-Roma population – 38% are employed informally, have no written employment contract, pension nor health insurance Roma population – 93% are employed without a formal employment contract, while 96% does not exercise the right to pension and health insurance.

CONCLUSIONS n n n Although identically active and somewhat better educated than the domicile population, non-Roma IDPs are less integrated, primarily from the economic aspect: fewer are employed, they have no access to real estate in Kosovo and less frequently own real estate in Serbia than the domicile population With IDPs equally as with population in Serbia, Roma are significantly worse off than the non-Roma population – they do not exercise their basic rights more often, their living conditions are poorer, attend school less frequently, receive medical treatment less frequently, find employment with more difficulty, experience more difficulties in access to institutions Still, these conditions are assessed as better than those in Kosovo by half of IDPs, and they do not wish to go back to Kosovo, primarily due to fear and distrust in Kosovo institutions, but also due to better employment, education and medical treatment conditions in Serbia.