Film je urađen u produkciji CIN CG i TV Vijesti, a dio je zajedničkog projekta CIN CG, Daily Press, Televizije Vijesti i Monitorovog centra za medije i demokratiju - Osnaživanje RE zajednice za pristup tržištu rada, realizovanog uz finansijsku podršku Evropske unije i Vlade Crne Gore

Premijera filma Iz lavirinta – pet priča, koji govori o uspješnim mladim ljudima iz RE zajednice i položaju te populacije u Crnoj Gori, održana je danas u hotelu Centre Ville u Podgorici, u organizaciji Centra za istraživačko novinarstvo Crne Gore (CIN-CG).

Film je urađen u produkciji CIN CG i TV Vijesti, a dio je zajedničkog projekta CIN CG, Daily Press, Televizije Vijesti i Monitorovog centra za medije i demokratiju - Osnaživanje RE zajednice za pristup tržištu rada, realizovanog uz finansijsku podršku Evropske unije i Vlade Crne Gore.

Teuta Nuraj, Nardi Ahmetović, Serđan Baftijari, Elvis Januzi i Mirsad Žabelji dobili su priliku da kroz ovaj projekat završe petomjesečnu obuku u medijima, ali i ispričaju svoju životnu priču o tome kako su uspjeli da izađu iz začaranog kruga siromaštva, neobrazovanja i diskriminacije i dokažu sebi i drugima da je upornost, istrajnost i vjera u sebe put ka uspjehu i integraciji.

Film je takođe i poziv društvu da uradi više za ovu populaciju koja i dalje živi na margini, pritisnuta nevoljama, predrasudama i diskriminacijom. Film će biti prikazan na TV Vijesti u srijedu u 20 sati.

Large number of Roma families says to their children: "Why would you educate, you only need primary school. In any case you will end up cleaning streets." Such an opinion is formed by the society as well, because Roma do not consider themselves as equal members of the community

Young Roma and Egyptians (RE) must, above all, think for themselves. We make mistakes, but so the state and therefore the cooperation is needed - Almir Tahiri, a political scientist, said in an interview for the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG).

Insisting on the education of a growing number of young people from the Roma and Egyptian populations, Tahiri emphasizes that their community must also renounce customs justified by tradition. These are, above all, early arranged and forced marriages and violence against women. "Although the violence against women is not part of the culture, customs and traditions of the Roma, women still experience it. I am not saying that there is no violence in other communities but it is very present in our community. We have to fight against it together. " 

Tahiri is one of the few university-educated Roma in Montenegro. After graduating from the Faculty of Political Science in Podgorica, he extended his knowledge of international relations, diplomacy and English at the Central European University in Budapest. He is currently working as an assistant director and administrative manager in the international company Alucon group, which participates in the realization of the Portonovi project. Eager to acquire additional knowledge and skills, he enrolled in postgraduate studies in business management at the Faculty of Management in Herceg Novi.

“My mother, father and entire family were my biggest support and they literally forced me to finish the university, saying that it was crucial for my future. At the age of five, they sent me to preschool and thus tried to integrate me into the majority community. My childhood, just like the childhood of any other Roma, was filled with stigma and discrimination. But it was also filed with my constant proving that I really can and I know. I wanted to prove others wrong. I can't say it was easy. Especially if you are the only member of the Roma community in the school. The harsh reality is that Roma children are sitting in the last benches - Tahiri recalls.

His problem, as he says, was the lack of the role model to look up to in his earliest childhood.

-My parents are uneducated and when I would come home, crying and saying I did not want to go to school, because other children mistreat me and call me names, I did not find understanding. Nobody instructed me that these things should not be considered as normal that we have to fight against discrimination and never accept it. My parents aren’t to blame because they are not emancipated. However, they did their best for me to follow the right path. In high school, stigma and discrimination were not so common, while I got on well with my colleagues in college. I made some nice friendships and I am still in contact with some of them, Tahiri said.

How do you assess the importance of education of Roma and Egyptian population on the path of their empowerment and fuller integration into society?

- That must be the imperative. In addition to primary, I would introduce compulsory secondary education by law, as some countries in the region have done. All Roma children should be given an opportunity to attend primary and secondary schools and they should also be encouraged to go to college.

In my opinion, the work of the state but also of the non-governmental sector is insufficient in that respect. They do not encourage young people enough to continue their education; they do not work with them nor do they motivate them. 

If currently almost a thousand children from the RE population attend primary schools, and only one in ten enrolls the high school while a little more than one percent enrolls the college, where do you identify the key problems?

-Most of our parents work in utility companies, or they collect secondary raw materials. I am not generalizing but large number of Roma families tell their children "Why would you educate, you only need primary school. In any case you will end up cleaning streets." Such an opinion is formed by the society as well, because Roma do not consider themselves as equal members of the community. A year ago, I suggested a local hotel to hire my brother, who is an excellent, educated bartender. I also recommended a friend of mine for a job. He would agree to do ordinary physical jobs such as cleaning, maintaining hygiene, working in the kitchen, or to be a driver because he only has a primary school. The hotel manager refused, and later I found out that he employed the Filipinos. 

Based on your experience, what should be done to ensure Roma pupils' attendance and attainment in schools and adequate employment later?

- We need to be given a chance. There is a possibility to reduce the number of unemployed Roma, to participate in the development of tourism. We have rich cultural heritage. In my house for example, four languages are spoken, two of which are English and German. There are hundreds of such families in Montenegro. Just imagine if you have Roma children who already speak several foreign languages, how easy it is to teach them another one, or to introduce them in professional training, to work as a waiter, a cook, a bartender in order for them to be employed in some luxury, tourist hotel. The guest of that hotel will get an impression of being in a civic, multicultural, multinational, multi-confessional community. Not to mention how our culinary specialties can further enrich the tourist offer. There is an economic benefit as well. If you hire Roma, they will not be a burden to the state. Moreover, they will contribute to it. We just need to think rationally, we don’t have to "integrate" into the society because someone is fond of us. 

This would additionally encourage the younger generations to further improve and get educated because they would see positive examples.

In your opinion, what is the role of the state in that integration, and what is the role of the non-governmental sector?

The state should provide opportunities to Roma young people, who are emancipated, educated and creative. We love Montenegro. We're not going anywhere from here, like it or not. Montenegro is as much a state of Montenegrins, Serbs, Croats, Albanians and Bosnians as it is ours. In my opinion, the solution is to participate together in creating public policies that would contribute to our position. There are also international organizations, which should help. Isn't it absurd that from 2010 to 2020, maybe fifteen Roma graduated from college? It is such a low number. But we cannot blame the state alone for that. The state provided me with a scholarship and a dormitory. Without that scholarship, I would have never graduated from college. The Roma NGO sector is also to be blamed, because they do not encourage young people enough to get an education. I am not sure whether it is a certain kind of jealousy of self-proclaimed leaders or a fear of competition that would be created after a certain time. Anyway, that is another topic. There are only a couple of non-governmental organizations, which really work, engage, advocate for the better future of RE population, but that is not the general attitude towards Roma. 

I also follow the work of the rest of the NGO sector. Those organizations receive certain funds from European and state donors to implement projects for Roma population. They receive money to hire Roma and no Roma is employed in those organizations. Even if they employ RE members, they work as interns, activists, assistants and they are not adequately paid.  

It is all just for the project visibility in media, to create an impression that RE members really work there. There are no cases of Roma members being a project coordinator, a project manager… All that money is given for the employment of Roma, and there is no Roma employed. 

There are growing demands for the political participation of Roma and Egyptians and the so-called affirmative action applied to other minorities. As a political scientist, how do you see the possibility of Roma and Egyptians appearing with their party in some upcoming elections?

- I think that we are politically discriminated against because one minority community is provided with a reduced census, and we are not, although there are slightly more of us than them. But that should not stop us from intending to be politically active and enter the political scene. 

It can only benefit us. I think one political party was founded a year ago. I don't know why they didn't go to the parliamentary elections. That's a great pity. Personally, I would be happy to see a Roma political party in the future that will advocate for the progress of the community and enrichment of civil Montenegro. It would be great to have Roma employees in various institutions as well as to hear the voice of the Roma in the parliament. 

Nardi AHMETOVIĆ

U velikom broju romskih porodica govore svojoj djeci: ‘’Pa što bi se ti obrazovao, dovoljna ti je osnovna škola, svakako ćeš na kraju čistiti ulice.’’ Takvo mišljenje u porodicama kreira i sistem, zato što Romi ne vide sebe kao dio zajednice jednakih i ravnopravnih

Mladi Romi i Egipćani moraju, prije svega, da razmišljaju svojom glavom. Imamo i mi naših grešaka, ali ima i država i zato je potrebna ruka saradnje – kaže u razgovoru za Centar za istraživačko novinarstvo (CIN-CG) politikolog Almir Tahiri.

Uz insistiranje na obrazovanju sve većeg broja mladih iz romske i egipćanske populacije, Tahiri naglašava da i njihova zajednica mora da se odrekne običaja pravdanih tradicijom. Riječ je, prije svega, o ranim ugovorenim i prisilnim brakovima i o nasilju nad ženama. “Iako nasilje nad ženama nije dio kulture, običaja i tradicije kod Roma, toga ima i danas. Ne kažem da nema kod neromske zajednice, ali ima i kod nas. Moramo zajedno da se borimo protiv toga”. 

Tahiri je jedan od malobrojnih fakultetskih obrazovanih Roma u Crnoj Gori. Poslije završenog fakulteta političkih nauka u Podgorici, na Centralno evropskom univerzitetu u Budimpešti usavršavao je znanja iz međunarodnih odnosa i diplomatije i engleskog. Trenutno radi kao asistent direktora i administrativni menadžer u međunarodnoj kompaniji Alucon group, koja učestvuje u realiziciji  projekta Portonovi. U potrazi, kako kaže, za dodatnim znanjem i vještinama, upisao je specijalističke studije menadžmenta u biznisu na Fakultetu za menadžment u Herceg Novom. 

- Glavni pokretači u mom obrazovanju, majka, otac i kompletna porodica tjerali su me da se obrazujem, konstantno govoreći da je to krucijalno za moju budućnost. Sa pet godina, uputili su me u predškolsko vaspitanje i na taj način pokušali integrisati u većinsku zajednicu. Moje djetinjstvo je prošlo kao i svako drugo romsko, praćeno stigmatizacijom, diskriminacijom. Ali i mojim konstantnim dokazivanjem da ja zaista mogu, znam, hoću i da nije tako kako drugi misle. Ne mogu da kažem da je bilo lako. Naročito, ako ste jedini pripadnik romske zajednice u školi. Surova je realnost, da romska djeca sjede u zadnjoj klupi - prisjeća se Tahiri. 

Njegov problem je, kaže bio i to što u najranijem periodu nije imao primjer koji bi slijedio. 

-Moji roditelji su neobrazovani i kad bih dolazio kući, plakao i govorio da ne želim u školu, jer me djeca maltretiraju I nazivaju pogrdnim imenima, nijesam nailazio na razumjevanje, da me neko uputi da te stvari nijesu normalne, ali da moramo da se borimo sa tim i da to nikad ne prihvatamo.  Nije to krivica mojih roditelja, zato što su oni neemanicipovani, ali su, ipak, dali sve od sebe da me izvedu na pravi put. U srednjoj školi, bilo je blaže što se tiče stigmatizacije i diskriminacije, dok su me na fakultetu lijepo prihvatili. Družili smo se i danas sam u kontaktu sa većinom – kaže Tahiri. 

Koliko ocjenjujete važnost školovanja romske i egipćanske populacije na putu njihovog osnaživanja i potpunijeg integrisanja u društvo?

- To mora biti imperativ. Pored osnovnog, zakonom bih uveo i obavezno srednjoškolsko obrazovanje, kao što su to uradile neke zemlje u regionu. Da sva romska djeca pohadjaju osnovnu i srednju školu i da budu podstaknuta i da im se razvije svijest o potrebi da ide na fakultet. 

Mislim da je na tom planu nedovoljan rad države, ali i nevladinog sektora, koji ne podstiču u dovoljnoj mjeri mlade na dalje školovanje, ne rade sa njima i ohrabruju ih.

Ako je trenutno u osnovnim školama gotovo hiljadu mališana iz RE populacije, a tek svaki deseti upiše srednju školu i nešto više od jednog procenta fakultet, gdje vidite ključne probleme?

-Većina naših roditelja radi u komunalnim preduzećima, ili se bavi sakupljanjem sekundarnih sirovina. Ne generalizujem, ali u velikom broju romskih porodica govore svojoj djeci: ‘’Pa što bi se ti obrazovao, dovoljna ti je osnovna škola, svakako ćeš na kraju čistiti ulice.’’ Takvo mišljenje u porodicama kreira i sistem, zato što Romi ne vide sebe kao dio zajednice jednakih i ravnopravnih. Prije godinu dana, predložio sam jednom lokalnom hotelu da zaposle mog rođenog brata, koji je vrhunski šanker, za to se i školovao. Predložio sam da zaposle i jednog druga, koji je htio da radi običan fizički posao, čišćenje, održavanje higijene, rad u kuhinji, vozač, šofer, što god, jer ima samo osnovnu školu. Menadžer hotela je odbio, a kasnije vidim da su zaposleni Filipinci. 

Šta bi, na osnovu Vašeg iskustva, trebalo uraditi da se više pripadnika RE populacije bolje školuje i adekvatno zaposli? 

- Treba nam pružiti šansu. Postoji mogućnost da se smanji broj nezaposlenih Roma, da učestvujemo u razvoju turizma. Imamo iza nas bogatu kulturu staru vjekovima. Samo u mojoj kući se govore četiri jezika, od kojih su dva engleski i njemački. Imate takvih porodica na stotine u Crnoj Gori. Zamislite, ako imate romsko dijete koje već govori nekoliko stranih jezika, koliko ga je lako naučiti još jedan, ili uvesti u stručno osposobljavanje, da bude konobar, kuvar, šanker. Da sjutra bude zaposlen u nekom luksuznom, turističkom hotelu. Gost će zaista imati osjećaj da se nalazi u građanskom, multikulturalnoj, multinacionalnoj, multikonfesionalnoj zajednici. Da ne govorim kako naši kulinarski specijaliteti mogu dodatno obogatiti  turističku ponudu. Tu je i ekonomski benefit. Ako zaposlite Roma, on neće biti na teretu države, nego će joj doprinositi. Treba samo ekonomski razmišljati, ne mora neko nas da ‘’integriše’’ zato što nas voli

To bi dodatno podstaklo i mlađe generacije, da se dodatno usavršavaju, školuju, jer bi vidjeli pozitivne primjere.

Gdje u tome vidite ulogu države, a gdje nevladinog sektora?

Država treba da pruži ruku saradnje romskim mladim ljudima, koji su emancipovani, školovani, kreativni. Mi volimo Crnu Goru. Nećemo mi nigdje odavde, svidjalo se to mnogima ili ne. Koliko je ova država Crnogoraca, Srba, Hrvata, Bosanaca, Albanaca, toliko je i naša. Ja tu vidim rešenje, ako zajedno učestvujemo u kreiranju javnih politika koje bi doprinjele našem položaju. Tu su i međunarodne organizacije, koje bi trebalo da pomognu. 

Zar nije apsurd, da je od 2010. do 2020. godine možda petnaestak Roma završilo fakultet. Mizerija. Ali, ne možemo za to kriviti samo državu. Meni je omogućila stipendiju, studenski dom. Bez te stipendije, nikad ne bih završio fakultet. Ja tu vidim krivicu i u romskom NVO sektoru, jer ne podstiču dovoljno mlade na obrazovanje. Da li je to određena vrsta ljubomore samoprozvanih lidera, ili strah od konkurencije koja bi se stvorila nakon određenog vremena, to je već druga tema. Čast izuzecima, par nevladinih organizacija, koje se zaista trude, angažuju, bore se, ali to nije glas naroda.

Pratim i rad ostalog NVO sektora. Podjite po tim organizacijama po Crnoj Gori što dobijaju određene evropske i državne projekte. Pare za Rome, nigdje zaposlenog Roma. Ili, ako je zaposlen, to bude neki stažista, aktivista, asistent, dobije neku crkavicu. Čisto da se slika u medijima, kao da je on tu. Nećete vi čuti da je negdje neki Rom koordinator u projektu, projekt menadžer... Gdje su sve te pare date za Rome, a nigdje zaposlenog Roma. Projekat za Rome - bez Roma.

Sve su glasniji zahtjevi za političku participaciju Roma i Egipćana i takozvanu pozitivnu diskriminaciju koja je primijenjena kod drugih manjina. Kako, kao politikolog gledate na mogućnost da se na nekim narednim izborima Romi i Egipćani pojave sa svojom partijom?

- Mislim da smo politički diskriminisani zato što je jednoj manjinskoj zajednici omogućen smanjen cenzus, a nama nije, iako nas brojčano ima malo više od njih. Ali, to nas ne treba da zaustavi u namjeri da budemo politički aktivni i izađemo na političku scenu. 

To može donijeti samo dobro. Mislim da je osnovana jedna politička partija, prije godinu dana. Nije mi poznato zašto nijesu izašli na parlamentarne izbore. To je velika šteta. Mene bi lično radovalo da u budućnosti vidim romsku poilitičku partiju koja će sigurno biti za progres zajednice i obogatiti građansku Crnu Goru. Da u raznim institucijama vidimo zaposlene Rome. U parlamentu, da se čuje glas Roma. 

Nardi AHMETOVIĆ

It is necessary to continue providing scholarships and mentoring programs, to promote positive examples of pupils and students, to provide quality practical classes, but also to promote the principle of affirmative action when enrolling Roma and Egyptians, Samir Jaha, the executive director of the NGO Young Roma, says

The number of Roma and Egyptians (RE) who decide to continue their education after finishing primary school is growing every year, but it is still an inadequate and slow process, which must be more strongly supported by the society. According to the research conducted by the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG), the insufficient success of mastering the curriculum and a small number of those who reach higher educational levels speak it favor of it.

Out of about 8,000 members of RE community in Montenegro, there are 1,800 primary school and 115 secondary school pupils. Of the high school pupils, only one attends the gymnasium, while the rest are in vocational schools.

So far, eleven students from the RE community have successfully completed their studies at the State University of Montenegro, while 12 are still studying. Six new students enrolled the faculty this year, three of whom were admitted according to the principle of affirmative action, whereby the enrollment requirements were lowered, while three were enrolled in accordance with the regular procedure - it was announced recently during a meeting of representatives of the University of Montenegro and the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights.

Despite the fact that these numbers are still small, it is still a progress, because according to the NGO Young Roma, there were no new Roma students last year, and after three years, several Roma re-enrolled in high schools in Berane.

"According to our knowledge from the field, the number of young people from the RE community who will attend the education process at all three levels this school year will be significantly higher, which makes us particularly happy and encourages us to continue promoting the improvement of this process. However, the results of their school achievements are what we need to take into account and what, the institutions, the civil sector and others dealing with these problems should be additionally worried about", Samir Jaha, the Executive Director of the NGO Youth Roma, says for CIN-CG.

Based on the research of this NGO for the school year 2018/19 on a sample of 122 pupils, or half of those in the final grades of primary school, there were no excellent pupils, very good only one, good 33, while 88 were sufficient. The total grade point average was 2.23, which is especially problematic for continuing education.

"Without the mentoring support provided by the NGO Young Roma with the financial support of the Roma Education Fund (REF) and the European Union, without scholarships provided by the Ministry of Education, the number of high school pupils would be significantly reduced," Jaha said.

He points out that RE children do not have the same opportunities as their peers from the majority population. He also states that RE students do not have adequate learning support, which results in poor school performance from the beginning. 

Jaha believes that in primary education it is necessary to provide the following: teaching assistants in all schools where 20 or more RE pupils attend classes, mentoring support to pupils, free textbooks and school supplies. It is also necessary to organize additional seminars for teachers, in order to have more sensibility towards RE pupils. Involvement of parents of Roma and Egyptian children in the work of the parents' council in schools is one of the conditions that Jaha insists on.

The report of the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights on the implementation of the Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians for 2019 states that the problem of lack of the awareness regarding the importance of education of this population due to poor socio-economic situation is present at all levels of education. One of the challenges that Roma and Egyptian children face during their education is insufficient knowledge of the official language.

For two years now, the NGO Young Roma has been implementing two projects in the field of education of RE pupils from primary and secondary schools “Improvement primary education - the first step towards quality secondary education” and "Increasing access and participation of Roma students in secondary education and transition to labor market". The projects` goals are raising the level of degree completion as well as improving the school success of RE pupils.

"Mentoring support to pupils has been provided through both projects. For that reason, 79 teachers and professors, who have worked with students of the RE population in the past period, have been hired for this activity. Their role is to monitor the work of students, provide them with support in order to prevent early school dropouts, motivate them to improve themselves and continue their education. "

For now, as Jaha states, they have had "only positive results", so they plan to continue with this practice in the upcoming school year as well.

During the first corona virus wave, the NGO Young Roma has provided 160 tablets with internet access worth 20,000 EUR to RE primary and secondary school pupils, so that they could attend online classes.

In the field of education of RE students in secondary and higher education, Jaha estimates that it is necessary to continue providing scholarships and mentoring programs, promote positive examples of pupils and students, provide quality practical classes, but also promote the principle of affirmative action when enrolling  RE students to faculties.

"It is important to create conditions for high school pupils to get a job upon graduation with the help of internship funds and employer support."

Declaration of Western Balkans Partners on Roma Integration was signed on 5th July 2019 in Poland. This document envisages a series of measures that should drastically improve the status of Roma in these countries. The Western Balkans countries have pledged to increase enrollment and completion rates for Roma primary education to 90 per cent, as well as enrollment and completion rate in secondary education to 50 per cent.

Delija: Don't give up

Miljaim Delija, a master's student at the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, is one of the few who graduated from the faculty.

"Education is very important for me as a member of the Egyptian community, as well as for my family. It can provide me an easy access to all institutions, the job for which I am qualified and better social position ", Delija says for CIN-CG.

He estimates that the education of RE youth, compared to the period when he started school, has improved in recent years and that the support of the state has played an important role.

"Roma and Egyptians now find it easier to exercise their rights, they now have scholarships which has not been the case in the past."

However, Delija believes that parents play a key role in the education process. Their support when it comes to children's education is predominantly focused on men, while girls are more likely to stay at home.

Delija strongly believes that education is the right way out of the vicious circle of poverty. 

"The message for young people is not to give up on education, because that is the right path to success. They should finish the high school and then go to college… Thus, they will help themselves, and later their family and the whole society ", Delija says.

Serđan BAFTIJARI

"Patriarchy is still practiced within the community itself, so few women decide to report violence," Fana Delija, from the Center for Roma Initiatives, said. Women and girls from the Roma and Egyptian (RE) population are particularly affected by poverty and the inability to permanently separate from the abuser

"We had an argument… He was drunk, he tied me up and started punching me. He was telling me to admit that I had cheated on him, he was hitting me on the upper part of my head and pulling out my hair. I was covered in blood. He mistreated me like that for two or three hours and said that I was a prostitute and that I was with another man. Then he kicked me in the legs. I started bleeding and I felt my leg and arm were broken… ”

From the horror experience she had survived, as she states in her confession to the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG), ML saved herself thanks to her brother-in-law and a neighbor who called the police.

"My husband stopped  hitting me, he just asked where his phone was and threatened to kill me and the children. Then my brother-in-law intervened and defended me. I ran away to the neighbor and asked her to call the police… I waited 30 minutes for them to arrive. I told them I couldn't be with him anymore and explained what he had done to me. The police arrested him, and they took me to the doctor. They sewed me there, fixed my leg because it was broken… and my arm… they also sewed my head… ”

More and more cases

The number of cases of domestic violence in which women from the Roma and Egyptian communities are suffering is growing alarmingly this year. According to Fana Delija, executive coordinator of the Center for Roma Initiatives (CRI) in Niksic, the majority of cases remain unsolved "due to the great influence of tradition".

"Through our continuous work in the community, we notice that patriarchy is still practiced, which is why only few women decide to report violence," Delija said.

Based on those who still decide to take that step, Delija concludes that domestic violence in the RE population is on the rise this year.

"Last year, the Center for Roma Initiatives registered eight cases that we reported. It is not excluded that women from the RE community themselves reported the violence directly to the police, or to some other organization, such as the SOS hotline. As for the cases reported to the Center, we already have eight of them from the beginning of January until today. Unfortunately, we believe that there will be more of them by the end of the year ", Delija points out.

The Center for Roma Initiatives provided a telephone line for counseling and support to women suffering from domestic violence.

“Since the Covid-19 pandemic has been declared, we have had more than 50 calls and counselling. The women only asked for some kind of support, not to report violence, but to consult a psychologist about how to report it, when to do something regarding the situation, how to access certain services, or to report the violence ", Delija said.

According to the personal confession of M.L. the chances of a woman getting out of the circle of violence are not big and often everything goes back to the beginning. She encountered the first obstacle when she left her husband since there was no room in the women's safe house at that time.

“The only way out of that situation was my father. Although he is ill, he has no money for his medicine, nor was there enough space in that barrack, because my brother and his children live there as well. I managed somehow to fit in there, until they called me from SOS Nikšić ", M.L says.

In her opinion, institutions should help women who report similar cases more. They should offer them security and help them temporarily, so that they can move on by themselves. It is necessary, she says, to find a solution for accommodation, regardless of whether there is a room in a women's safe house.

"In the end, without support, the woman has to be on the street, or like me, to return to the husband because that was my only option."

A joint response is needed

Mirjana Vuksanović, a psychologist from the Montenegrin Women's Lobby, points out that it is especially important that all actors involved in the system of protection against domestic and female violence, regardless of the group, respect the important role they have in dealing with such cases. A woman who has experienced violence should be provided with the access to support and assistance at any time.

"These are the police, the center for social work and the non-government sector. Without their joint response and multisectoral cooperation, there is a lack of adequate assistance and support. If there is no reaction from any actor, the woman does not receive the support and help she is guaranteed with by international and state regulations ", Vuksanović says for CIN-CG.

According to her, women and girls from the RE population are additionally affected "due to the socio-economic situation, language barrier, discrimination in finding adequate help and support". It often happens that they are not informed about their rights and possibilities to exercise them.

Delija points out that it is necessary to strengthen the capacities of RE organizations that deal with the improvement of the position of women from the Roma and Egyptian communities, especially for the suppression of domestic violence and early arranged child marriages.

"When we talk about the RE civil sector, the fact is that there is a lack of staff. There are few organizations and activists empowered to address these issues. It is necessary to have as many RE activists as possible, to be involved in organizations like CRI. We have been working in the field for a long time and we have a women's REA network, the first network made up of Roma and Egyptian activists from several cities in Montenegro. We are in constant contact with the community itself ", Fana Delija says. 

It is necessary, she points out, to work on informing RE women.

"The most important thing is that women know who to address to if they want to report violence. More work needs to be done in the community itself to encourage women to report violence, as it is very difficult for a member of the RE population to initiate such a thing, given that she is from a poor family and depends on a male family member. Unfortunately, because of patriarchy, a large number of women think that it is normal for them to suffer violence and not to report it," Delija says.

The legal framework is improved, but the problem remains

By ratifying the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence on 1 August 2014, Montenegro became one of the first countries to commit to undertake all legislative and other measures for adoption and implementation of effective, comprehensive and coordinated state policies that include the prevention and fight against all forms of violence, so that the rights of victims are at the center of measures and are realized through the cooperation of all bodies, institutions and organizations.

In the last decade, the legal framework in Montenegro has been significantly improved, primarily with the adoption of the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence, the Criminal Code, as well as the Law on Gender Equality, the Family Law, and the Law on Free Legal Aid and Social and Child Protection. In addition, the adoption of the Strategy for Protection against Domestic Violence (2016-2020) and the Action Plan for Achieving Gender Equality (2017–2021) provided a strategic framework for the implementation of policies that should respond to the challenges in this area.

The UNDP report for 2017, however, states that every other woman in Montenegro has survived at least one form of violence, which means that women from the RE population are no exception either. 

"Domestic violence, child begging and forced marriages are serious social challenges, and the lack of communication between institutions and unclear competencies still remain a major problem," this was estimated on the final conference of the project Together for Sustainable Results In Combating Domestic Violence, Child Begging and Forced Marriages organized by the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM).

Serđan BAFTIJARI
Nardi AHMETOVIĆ
Teuta NURAJ

We planned to participate as a Roma community, but since the threshold for Roma has not been reduced, as it was done for the Croatian national minority, we are not able to stand for the elections. If they had reduced the threshold, I believe we would have had enough voters for one Member of Parliament", Mensur Shala, president of the newly formed Democratic Party of Roma, told CIN-CG

"The Roma community is fed up of others deciding on its behalf!"

With this exclamation, the president of the newly founded Democratic Party of Roma, Mensur Shala, in an interview with the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG), admits that the authentic political representative of his people will be awaited after the parliamentary elections scheduled for August 30th.

Shala explains that the current Law on Election of Councilors and Members of Parliament prevents a party that would represent the Roma community from winning a sufficient number of votes. 

“We planned to participate as the Roma community, but since the threshold for Roma has not been reduced, as it was done for the Croatian national minority, we are not able to stand for the elections. If they had reduced the threshold, I believe we would have had enough voters for one Member of Parliament", Shala has pointed out.

According to the Law on Election of Councilors and Members of Parliament, electoral lists that received at least three percent of the total number of valid votes participate in the distribution of mandates. By applying the principle of affirmative action, parties representing minorities, primarily Bosniaks and Albanians, in the event that none of the electoral lists presenting them reach the threshold, and individually receive at least 0.7 percent of valid votes, gain the right to participate in distribution of mandates as one - collective electoral list. They are entitled to participate in the allocation of up to 3 seats then.

Due to the amendments to the election law, the parties representing the Croatian minority, due to a lower percentage of representation in the total population, are entitled to one seat if they gain 0.35% or more of the valid votes.

According to the turnout in the previous elections, the parties usually need about ten thousand votes to enter the parliament, the minority lists four times less, and the Croatian minority about a thousand.

According to the results of Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in Montenegro, 6.251 persons (1.01 percent of population) have stated to belong to the Roma population, slightly more than the Croatian national minority (0.97 percent). However, data on the number of Roma eligible to vote are not available. The survey presented by CEDEM shows that, as many as 57 percent of members of this minority do not have Montenegrin citizenship.

CIN-CG's interlocutors have stated that the method for enabling authentic political participation of Roma exists but political will is also needed.

"In the last few months, since I was on the field, because of the situation with the COVID-19, they asked me in the community whether our party will stand for elections. Some of them were sure it would. They can't wait for our party to appear, to be given an opportunity to choose what we want. No one can fight for us like ourselves, because we know the best what we need ", Shala says.

Since 1998, the Law on Election of Councilors and Members of Parliament has been amended 17 times, the last time in October 2018, and the legislator has never recognized the necessity of introducing the affirmative action for the Roma community.

The initiative to enable it to this community, as it was done for the Croatian minority, was submitted to the parliament in 2018 by the members of the Coalition Together for the Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians in Montenegro. It was signed by Samir Jaha from the NGO Young Roma, Milan Radovic from the Civic Alliance, Dragan Koprivica from the Center for Democratic Transition, Elvis Berisha from the NGO Phiren Amenca and Fana Delija from the Center for Roma Initiatives.

Program Director for Human and Minority Rights in the Civic Alliance Milan Radovic points out for CIN-CG that this is the key moment for the Roma to have a political representative in parliament who would primarily deal with the position of that minority in the moment of democratic development in Montenegro and ask certain issues to be resolved.

Radović explains that the document requested "to enable the Roma people affirmative action, as in case of the Croatian minority, in the sense that they, as a minority can gain one parliamentary seat in a significantly smaller quota."

"We have not received an answer yet, nor this issue was discussed in the parliament", Radović points out.

Almir Tahiri, a member of the UMRE Civic Movement (United Movement of Roma and Egyptians), is the first person from the Roma community in Montenegro to graduate from the Faculty of Political Science. He believes that the state must show sensitivity to its citizens. 

"Montenegro is as much a state of Montenegrins, Serbs, Croats, Albanians and Bosniaks as it is ours. Unequal access and selective concessions cannot bring progress in either the social or the economic field. I am sure that our integration would lead to significant increase of GDP. In this regard, all those MPs who love Montenegro should initiate and support the amendment of the Law on Election of Councilors and MPs. They do not have to do it for our own sake, but for the sake of society in general and Montenegro, because by providing support to us, they provide it to their own country ", Tahiri says for CIN-CG.

Political parties represented in parliament, with the exception of Demos and the Civic Movement URA, despite a two-week insistence by CIN-CG journalists, avoided answering questions about their views on the initiative to reduce the threshold to 0.35 percent in the case of Roma, whether a party representing the Roma community would contribute to the further democratization of Montenegrin society, and whether they have representatives of this community in their parties.

In DEMOS, they say, they are aware of the extremely difficult position of Roma in Montenegro. They believe that the principle of affirmative action, applied to the Croatian national minority, should also be applied to the Roma. They believe that the Roma party would contribute to better protection of Roma interests and "reduce the possibility of abuse of the Roma population in the electoral process by the current government, and thus would contribute to the democratization of Montenegrin society."

That is why, they say, "DEMOS will support potential changes to the Law on Election of Councilors and MPs, which would enable such a solution."

The main challenges that the Roma community may face in the process of creating a party that would protect its national interests concern the expected obstructions of the ruling elite, DEMOS stated. 

"This is primarily in order to continue to secure the votes of Roma citizens by abusing the difficult economic position of Roma and state resources for election purposes," this political party explains.

The Civic Movement URA points out that their party has representatives of all nations from the last Census from 2011, including Roma and Egyptians.

"We are a party that respects and values the differences. It is important to note that we had representatives of the Roma population as candidates for councilors in the local elections in Ulcinj. Also, in the Youth Forum, we have members who are Roma ", URA said for CIN-CG.

The URA representatives believe that it is necessary to introduce amendments to the Law on Election of Councilors and MPs as soon as possible, "in order to equalize the position of Roma and Egyptians with the position of some other minority communities."

"We emphasize that according to the last population census, there are more Roma and Egyptians living in Montenegro compared to other minority communities that have a privileged electoral threshold," URA said. 

Representatives of URA also assess that "it is extremely important that Roma and Egyptians have representatives in state institutions and in political life, because otherwise there is no full integration into society."

Recalling that Roma and Egyptians are the most marginalized community in the Parliament, the Civic Movement URA assessed that "if they had their representatives in parliament, they would significantly contribute to improvements in education, health care, legal and social status, family protection, culture and information ”.

The president of the NGO Roma Hope, Mirsad Muratovic, says that now there are a sufficient number of educated people who can represent the Roma community in parliament in a professional manner.

"Twelve years ago, when I founded the NGO, there was a small number of educated members of the RE population in Montenegro. We now have a significant number of those who have completed postgraduate and master studies. We have the capacity to participate in political life and people who would be members of parliament and protect our rights," Muratovic told CIN-CG.

Mensur Shala, the president of the newly founded Roma party, announces that, in addition to insisting on reducing the threshold, he will also work on uniting young educated Roma in order to advocate for a better position of the community. He says that the plan is to talk to the deputies in the next period and open the issue of a reduced threshold, but also to prepare for the local elections in Podgorica in 2022.

"For young, educated people to be employed in ministries, to have our rights, that no one takes our places," Shala says, adding that he primarily thinks of the ministries for human and minority rights, education, labor and social welfare, and even foreign affairs. 

"So, the aim is to have members of the community who will actively participate in creation of our destiny”, Shala says.

"In order to achieve the principle of equality between ethno cultural communities in the national-state context, it is necessary to recognize the special political rights to the members of minority communities or minorities as collectives. This especially refers to the communities that have been marginalized or discriminated against for a long time, as it is the case with the Roma community, " Danijela Vukovic Calasan, in her work The Politics of Multiculturalism and Political Participation of Roma in Montenegro, states.

Political participation and representation of Roma are stated in the recommendations of the Government, the European Union, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.

The Roma, despite the first step of founding the party, are still invisible on the political scene.

He advocated for the Roma party, then joined the DPS

The President of the Roma Council, Isen Gashi, who previously fiercely advocated for the authentic representation of Roma, in the meantime became a member of the Main Board of the DPS and - fell silent.

In January 2018, he told CIN-CG that it is necessary to provide a systemic solution for the authentic representation of Roma in the Montenegrin parliament and at the local level, which he sees a precondition for true integration.

"It is incomprehensible that the Roma community must provide twice as many votes for one parliamentary mandate in relation to the Croatian community. This is not a concept of civil society, it is a typical example of double standards," Gashi said at the time.

Referring to experience, he then pointed out that he was not sure that the Roma would have the support of the DPS and other parties for their demands.

"Especially if we remember the initiative of Positive Montenegro, which once submitted an amendment to provide the Roma community with a guaranteed mandate in the Montenegrin parliament, which was rejected by everyone else. "Even minority parties opposed such a request," Gashi said.

The President of the Roma Council, on November 30th last year, was elected by the DPS Congress as a member of the Main Board.

Even after several days of journalists' insistence, Gashi did not answer the questions about whether he maintains his earlier commitment to reducing the threshold and political participation of Roma and Egyptians, whether he will advocate for it as a member of the DPS leadership and whether he has already raised such an issue, why he had accepted a seat in the ruling party and whether it conflicts with the function of president of the Roma Council, which should bring together all Roma.

Serđan BAFTIJARI 

According to official UNHCR data, 360 former and internally displaced persons still have not resolved their legal status, and this problem is most widespread among the Roma and Egyptian (RE) populations. For the regular social assistance system, but also for the emergency system during the Covid-19 epidemic, they are – invisible

"God forbid that they close the market again. That would mean that we can’t to go out and work. In that case I would not be able to survive since nobody helps me” Gazmend Krueziu (53) prays while the number of people infected with Covid-19 is growing again.

But he is not the only one trying to feed a family of twelve. In Montenegro, according to official United Nation High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) data, 360 persons registered as former and internally displaced have no resolved legal status, and most are members of the Roma and Egyptian populations. Based on the results of the "field verification" conducted at the end of 2017 together with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, UNHCR estimates that about 140 persons in Montenegro are at risk of statelessness. It means a person who is not considered as a national by any state under the operation of its law.

Even though a large number of Roma families live in substandard conditions, many are not even formally registered as socially disadvantaged. According to a survey conducted by the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM), only 28.6 percent of these households are beneficiaries of family material support (FMS/MOP). Families like Gazmend`s are doubly endangered: not only they do not get the support from funds due to unresolved legal status, but they don’t get the emergency assistance as well.

"This team helped me to get Kosovo citizenship, but I failed to resolve my residence in Montenegro. I contacted the Legal Center several times, but they couldn't help either. Everyone else got the apartments except me because I don’t have a resolved legal status. I don't work anywhere, and neither do my children. The eldest son is 23 years old.  A proof of residence is required for every single job. I registered the children in the birth certificates with two witnesses by mother's surname because she also has Kosovo citizenship. We live in a rented apartment. I need at least 100 EUR a month for a rent and bills, otherwise I will end up on the street”, Krueziu says. 

The previous period, as he says, was very difficult for him and his family. The police returned him home twice when he tried to collect and sell secondary raw materials from a landfill near the informal settlement where he lives.

"Everyone was given food and hygiene packages, except me. I have never received one. When they handed out packages from the Roma Council, they said it was only for domicile Roma. The Government helped those who receive social benefits and who are registered at the Employment Agency of Montenegro (EAM). I couldn’t get any of that either. I hope that someone will help me and my family, as well as others who are in the same situation to get the documents so that we can live a better life", Krueziu says. 

Half-younger Emra Morinaj (27) from Kosovo, a father of four, says they have survived the previous months thanks to neighbors.

"If it weren't for them, we would be starving. We weren’t allowed go out and work. I don't know who to ask for help. Once they gave me potatoes and macaroni from the Red Cross, and I am thankful for that," Morinaj says.

His children were born in Podgorica, but he is still waiting for a permanent residence permit.

"I have also addressed the Ministry of the Interior several times. They asked me for some documents from the border and from Kosovo. I obtained all those documents, but I still cannot resolve the status in Montenegro. My son is enrolled in the first grade this year, and the twins are attending kindergarten. I'm just asking that my family and I get the status. When I resolve that, I will have everything ", Morinaj says for CIN-CG.

He points out that he is aware that within the RE populations there are those who are in even worse position. 

"I'm young so I can go out and do whatever I can, but there are people who are old and sick. I am sure that the previous period was tougher for them. Assistance from social and employment agency in the amount of 50 EUR would be important for us as well, because we were prevented from working ", Morinaj explains.

According to the officially published data, the Government of Montenegro paid a one-off assistance of EUR 50 within the measures for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 for 17,078 persons registered at the Employment Agency of Montenegro on March 31, 2020. On average, there are about thousand people of the RE population registered at the EAM. 8,583 FMS beneficiaries, including Roma and Egyptians, also received 50 EUR each.

Addressing the issue of displaced persons from the former Yugoslav states and internally displaced persons from Kosovo residing in Montenegro is part of the negotiations with the European Union, within Chapter 23 - "Judiciary and Fundamental Rights". Back in July 2011, the government adopted a strategy according to which this was supposed to have been done in 2015. Then they estimated that the work was not finished, so they set the end of 2019 as a new deadline but this one wasn’t met either. 

"In the period from November 7, 2009, when the Law on Amending the Law on Foreigners entered into force, up until and including December 31, 2019, displaced and internally displaced persons submitted 15,237 applications for approval of permanent residence and temporary residence for up to three years. Out of this number, 15,050 requests have been resolved, while 187 requests are in progress. Of the 15,050 resolved cases, for 12,366 persons the application was approved and they were granted a permanent residence, or temporary for up to three years; 286 requests were denied, while 2,398 cases were rejected, i.e. the procedure was suspended (double or incomplete requests) ", Dina Knežević, the Advisor at Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, explains for CIN-CG.

According to her, persons who have not exercised the right to submit a request for regulation of permanent residence and temporary residence have been staying illegally in Montenegro since January 1, 2015.

Elvis Berisha, the executive director of the youth organization Walk with us - Phiren amenca, says that several families have asked them for help. 

"In a short period of time, in the territory of Podgorica alone, more than 38 persons who have not resolved their legal status have been identified. As a result, they were unable to use the assistance provided by the Government. With the support of the UNDP, in the coming period, our organization will provide assistance to these families in food, but also when enrolling children in educational institutions", Berisha says.

The Roma Council does not remember him, but…

Although the Roma Council does not remember "Mr. Gazmend Krueziu", they claim that statement is incorrect or is a "product of ignorance".

"Honestly, I can’t remember the person. I can claim, as a member of the Roma Council, that in cooperation with Red Cross assistants, with the support of the Podgorica Capital City and NGO Help, we distributed a total of 1,300 packages for all Roma and Egyptians, both domicile and those without resolved legal status at the territory of Podgorica", Mensur Salja, a member of the Roma Council, told CIN-CG, listing all the settlements where they distributed help, including the informal settlement of Vrela BB and Šatorsko naselje. According to Salja, "families of Djukatani, Berisha and others in informal settlements inhabited by not domicile persons who have received help from donors can confirm this…"

Adnan Djukatani confirmed to CIN-CG that the Roma Council distributed packages to him and his brothers.

"During the Covid-19, when we were prevented from working, we were given two food and hygiene packages from the Roma Council. Also, they distributed flour to us and I am thankful to them", Djukatani, who lives in the same settlement as Krueziu, said.

He and his brothers, however, have the status of foreigner nationals with permanent residence, which is not the same.

In another conversation with a CIN-CG journalist, Gazmen Kruzeiu was categorical that he did not receive any help that others did. His neighbor Besim Hajrizi, who also has no resolved legal status, confirmed that he did not receive help either.

"When the Roma Council handed out packages, I wasn’t given any. They shared it with all my neighbors who have citizenship. They told me I would be given in the second round. But they did not come again", Besim Hajrizi told CIN-CG.

243 apartments have been built, additional 96 to be built

According to the 2011 Census of population, households and dwellings in Montenegro, 6,251 persons stated to have Roma nationality (1.01 percent of the total population), while the Egyptian population numbers 2,054 persons (0.33 percent). Most Roma lived in the territory of Podgorica (3988), followed by Berane (531), Nikšić (483), Bijelo Polje (334), Herceg Novi (258). The largest number of Egyptians is in Podgorica (685), Niksic (446), Tivat (335) and Berane (170). The settlements inhabited by Roma and Egyptians are located on the outskirts of cities.

Through the regional housing program, 243 apartments were built in the capital's suburb Konik for people from Kosovo who came to Montenegro in 1999.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare promised that in the next two years, 96 more apartments for displaced persons will be built in Podgorica's settlement of Konik, stating that the money for construction, worth 3.5 million EUR, was provided through the Regional Housing Program.

Serđan BAFTIJARI

Representatives of Roma organizations demand all members of this population to be provided with water and electricity, as well as food aid for the most vulnerable, but the Government has not given a straight answer yet

Last night, water finally flowed from the fountain in the yards of nine families with 50 members, in the area of the former refugee Camp Two in Vrela Ribnicka, on the outskirts of Podgorica. They were connected to the network after several days of appeals, requests and actions of Roma organizations to provide the inhabitants of this settlement with at least basic hygiene measures for the prevention of Covid-19.

Tarzan Adzovic and other residents of that settlement say that they feel a little safer now.

“After two years, we finally got water. We are satisfied, because now our children will be able to maintain personal hygiene," Adzovic told the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG).

Single mother C.G. who lives with six children in another part of Konik still deals with this issue. The virus of hunger and thirst had bothered this family even before the infection appeared. "We are more hungry and thirsty than full. Children are no longer allowed to collect waste at the landfills. The other night, a neighbor brought us food so the children did not fall asleep starving.” 

She suffers the reproach of the neighbors because she takes water from them and cannot participate in splitting the bills. "They ask us to take care of hygiene, but that is a luxury for us," she says.

H.B from this settlement, whose husband collected secondary raw materials and sold old things at the flea market on weekends, shares the similar fate. They take water in cans from the neighbor and pay half of his bill. Other torments are the same for this family as well.  

Two gloomy fates, Violeta Harizaj reported on during the training on the basics of journalism organized by CIN-CG within the project on raising the employability of Roma and Egyptians, are common for many families from this population in Montenegro.

The United Movement of Roma and Egyptian (UMRE) has asked the Montenegrin government to urgently take measures to protect vulnerable families from the corona virus in RE settlements, especially due to the significant number of those who did not have water or were cut off from electricity.

"Since the Government`s COVID-19 measures have taken effect, members of the most marginalized community in Montenegro fear for their lives. The COVID pandemic had only increased the already existing problems of RE community, while only few of them are able to respect the measures of personal and household hygiene adopted by the official institutions”, the UMRE has warned.

In the past couple of days, 40 local coordinators of this movement worked on "mapping the most disadvantaged families from the Roma and Egyptian communities" in ten municipalities where they live.

"We have sent a request to the Government asking for special attention to be paid to the most vulnerable categories during the pandemic in order to avoid a social catastrophe. Because of substandard living conditions, RE families face an increased risk of contracting corona virus in case it appears in any of the settlements, especially those where the lock down has already been imposed on," the UMRE has stated.

The movement has also proposed to the Government of Montenegro, as the majority owner of Electric Power Industry of Montenegro (EPCG), to order urgent power connection to all users who are disconnected due to debt, in order to enable them to be informed and to take preventive measures. It was also proposed that all citizens in the next three months be charged electricity at a cheaper rate throughout the day, as well as to postpone their payment during the current COVID-19 measures and that in that period debtors are not disconnected from the network.

Until the publication of this article, the Government did not respond whether they were familiar with the UMRE's letter, whether they considered the request for emergency assistance for vulnerable Roma and Egyptians and if they made any decisions, and if so, when the implementation could begin.

Electricity is a special problem in the Roma and Egyptian settlement of Riverside in Berane, according to daily Dan. Ardijan Shala, the representative of the inhabitants of this settlement, called on the authorities to understand that help to these families is urgently needed.

"In the beginning, we received help from humanitarian organizations. Prefabricated houses in which we live now have been built. But lately, there has been no help, although we hear that a lot of money is being set aside for vulnerable categories of the population. We are registered as foreign citizens and we get the impression that we do not belong to anyone, since we still live in those conditions, especially now that the virus has paralyzed the whole country. I know that the most difficult thing is to suppress the spread of the corona virus, but we also have the right to life, because for us the most dangerous virus is hunger“, Shala said.

He reminded that many families in Riverside live without electricity and wood.

"Only a few families have electricity. These are the ones that somehow managed to raise money and pay the increased debt. Everyone else has been living in the dark for years. Their unpaid electricity bills amount to 3,000 Euros on average per household. This is the best indicator of the situation that we live in. That is why we are asking for all previous debts on this basis to be written off, as Serbia and Croatia have done. If that does not happen, we are forced to seek collective asylum in other countries, because we have been brought to the brink of despair“, Shala stressed for daily Dan.

For now, the German organization Help has come to the rescue, which, in cooperation with the NGO Roma Youth Organization "Walk With Us" (Phiren Amenca) and with the financial support of the European Union, provided 600 food packages for the most vulnerable as emergency aid. Assistance has reached 400 homes in the settlements of Gracanica in Niksic, Riverside and Talum in Berane, Strojtanica, Rakonje and Zeljeznik in Bijelo Polje and Drenovik in Herceg Novi. The packages, worth a total of 12,400 Euros, as published on the Help website, contained flour, oil, sugar, pasta, rice and soap.

Elvis Berisha, executive director of the Roma Youth Organization "Walk with us - Phiren Amenca", called on other organizations to help the Roma and Egyptian communities, warning that "in this time of pandemic we shall react urgently and not wait for the situation to get worse."

"I expect, and I call on all other organizations, especially those that receive funds from the European Union, the Fund for Minorities and the Ministries, to redirect money to help the community, because that is the most urgent thing at the moment. If we want to keep people in their houses, then we should make it possible for them, when the Government of Montenegro does not provide any answers", Berisha said.

He pointed out that he wants to see "the Roma National Council, the new Roma political party, and other organizations active in the field, but not only to invite people to stay at home, because we know that this is not possible when they have to earn money for food”.

"I am willing to jointly agree and coordinate assistance if necessary because we already have the experience. I expect and appeal to the Red Cross of Montenegro to help all families, as we asked for it, and to include us in order to make it easier for them and for people to get help as soon as possible. This was the first week and at least ten more are to come. It is important that we provide people with access to water, food and hygiene packages!” Berisha said.

According to the 2011 Census of population, households and dwellings in Montenegro, 6,251 persons declared that they belong to the Roma nationality (1.01 percent of the total population), while the Egyptian population numbers 2,054 persons (0.33 percent). Most Roma live in the territory of Podgorica (3988), followed by Berane (531), Nikšić (483), Bijelo Polje (334), Herceg Novi (258). The largest number of Egyptians is in Podgorica (685), Niksic (446), Tivat (335) and Berane (170).

The European Commission's reports on Montenegro's progress in the European integration process constantly emphasize the importance of protecting the rights of RE and the need to improve their position, primarily through the consistent application of existing legal solutions. The Report for Montenegro for 2019 states that the Roma minority remains the most vulnerable and most discriminated community in Montenegro.

Police order people to go back home

Besim Hajrizi, a resident of Vrela Ribnicka, lives nearby to the city landfill. His family of nine shares only one room. Living conditions are bad, they don't even have a bathroom. Now, with the new situation, they are additionally aggravated, because he is prevented from making money. He fears for his family because, as he says, he cannot provide basic necessities for life, let alone means for maintaining hygiene.

"The other day, the police ordered me to go back home when I went to town to collect scrap metal. I understand it’s for my own good, but I make a living from it. I can't work. I can't provide any powder or soap, let alone disinfectants. It is said on TV that protective masks and gloves should be worn, but we haven’t even seen them. And how shall we then protect ourselves from infection? How to maintain hygiene? I appeal to the Government to help us," Hajrizi told RomaNet.

Institute for Public Health (IPH): There are no infected people from the RE community

The Institute of Public Health of Montenegro (IPH) told CIN-CG that so far there are no members of the Roma community in Montenegro who are infected with the COVID-19 virus.

However, it does not mean that they are not in the special focus of preventive activities carried out by the Institute of Public Health together with local epidemiological services. On the contrary - due to their lifestyle, a special part of the educational campaign on measures to prevent the spread of the new corona virus will be adapted to Roma and housing conditions. At the same time, key social actors involved in providing assistance and care in such situations have focused a number of activities on Roma and their children in order to improve the social situation and preserve the health of the population, which is particularly vulnerable when it comes to infectious diseases, the Institute of Public Health pointed out.

Serđan BAFTIJARI

A few days before it was discovered that one person from Vrela Ribnicka settlement was infected, a team of journalists was at his home, trying to illustrate the poverty and troubles of members of the RE population in this area. Now they are also in suspense and undergoing testing

Scenes from the home of B.B, the first person from Roma and Egyptians (RE) community infected with COVID-19, are constantly before my eyes. It's as if some internal defense system is trying to eliminate, or at least alleviate, the restlessness that has gripped me as I return from the Institute of Public Health, where I was tested for the corona virus. The countdown begins until the phone rings from the Institute and a voice announces…

In the most unpleasant way I realize what uncertainty means. For the first time in my life, I want someone to tell me that I am - negative.

A few days ago I went with a colleague to make a story about 39-year-old B. B. his life problems and to make the public aware of it. Bitter images of poverty etched in my memory, as if trying to suppress internal beats that measure the distance to an extremely important phone call. Images of the sad look of a man crying out for help to feed eleven children, confession on meals from the national kitchen, which somewhat quenched their hunger. He does not receive social assistance. Now even if he wanted to, he has nowhere to make money, because everything has stopped, or is forbidden.

The announcement of the Institute of Public Health of Montenegro that one person in Vrela Ribnicka was infected with the new COVID-19 virus reminded me of an interview I did, as it is said, "in order to raise awareness of the existential problems of the RE community", documenting the troubles faced by BB (39) and his large family. After a brief check, my anxieties were confirmed.

Aware of the seriousness, I called 1616 and reported that I had been in contact with an infected person. The doctor, whose name I did not remember, because various thoughts were swarming through my head, started questioning me. I gave personal information, then explained how I felt, if I had any of the symptoms that indicate a virus infection. I didn't have any.

We spoke for about ten minutes. The doctor tried to calm me down, advised me to start self-isolation immediately, and told me that someone from the Institute of Public Health would call me soon to explain me the next steps. I called a colleague who was with me at the home of B.B. and advised him to schedule testing. An hour before midnight, a "Dr. Tony" called and told me to come tomorrow at two in the afternoon. After that call, I couldn't sleep a wink. 

The images started to swarm through my head again. A woman with a baby in her arms showing empty kitchen cabinets while begging to be photographed. She opens the fridge and shows us inside of it - it is empty. The sight of tiny children huddled next to each other on the couch in the living room, watching the black screen of the TV, hoping that our arrival will help them get electricity. The caring words of B.B. while with tears in his eyes he talks about the eleventh child, who was hospitalized in BIjelo Polje, because he suffers from cerebral paralysis still echoes in my mind.

After leaving the apartment, the neighbors besieged us. They wanted to know if we had come to provide any help. Trying to outvote each other, they describe their troubles, explaining us that their torment is similar to that of our host. They can't work for days and they are afraid.

We explain that we are working on informing the public and the authorities about their problems and that we hope they will take some actions. We are explaining what we have achieved so far, since the beginning of the pandemic, organized in the United Movement of Roma and Egyptians (UMRE), as well as what initiatives we have also launched.

I live in that neighborhood with my family and they know me. I shared the same fear of future developments in the Roma community, the most disadvantaged in Montenegrin society. Since the signing of the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015, and later with the adoption of the Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians, the authorities have been sending a message to the international community to work on social inclusion. A narrative has been created in the general public that everything is given to the Roma community. Everything that has been happening in recent days related to the pandemic, the investigations that have been published in the media, the conditions in which the Roma community lives without electricity and water, are painfully denied by the praise-filled reports submitted to Brussels.

From the nightmares, unrest and images of misery for which words are missing, the question arises: How is it possible that, despite millions of foreign and domestic funds in the last ten years, the Roma community still struggles for bare survival?

I get home, log in portals, websites and social networks with my journalistic routine and I get anxious again because of the comments there. As a member of this society, I try to contribute to democratization by working but at the same time I refuse to believe that in the 21st century there are those among us who are looking forward to the situation that has affected the Roma and Egyptian communities.

There always seems to be something worse, even from illness and poverty.

RE people especially affected by the prejudices on social networks

- Fear spread over the settlement on Vrela Ribnicka. Given that B.B. has many children, other tenants of the building, but also neighbors worry what could a children's play in the previous days have caused - Marijeta Jašaraj, one of the participants in training for journalists, organized by the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG) within the project for strengthening the employability of the RE population, describes.

Her husband was with Serdjan Baftijari at BB on a journalistic assignment.

- He's a journalist and a cameraman. He visited disadvantaged families together with his colleague. About ten days ago, he had a contact with an infected person. He had a mask, gloves and he respected the social distance, but we were still scared, especially because of our baby. The husband called 1616 and he reported the contact, after which he received isolation instructions and was tested. Fortunately, the test was negative - Marijeta says.

Although it is not yet known how he became infected, she believes that the main reason is poverty, because the infected man had to go out and try to make a few bucks in order to feed his family.

- Empathy, understanding and skilled doctors are what is needed now. The RomaNet portal wrote that the sick person called an ambulance, but they reacted only three days later when the neighbors alerted the police, that patrolled the neighborhood, she says.

This part remained unclear, because at first the questions of TV Vijesti about it at the press conference remained unanswered. Later a written announcement from the Institute of Public Health arrived explaining that the infected B.B. in a conversation with epidemiologists did not mention that he had called the emergency medical service.

- Although she lives 400 meters away from B.B. Elhana Baftijari is also concerned.

We are concerned, because it seems to me that the people who live in this neighborhood have not yet comprehended the seriousness of the situation. Both adults and children are out in large numbers, instead of staying at home – Elhana says.

Elvis Januzi believes many residents became aware of the situation only after the first case of infection appeared in the settlement.

Before the first case, members of the RE population living in the camp number one gathered regardless of the bans and go home only when an inspection or police arrived – Januzi says.

Nardi Ahmetović, a young activist from Niksic and also a participant in the CIN-CG training, says that he was very affected by the first comments on social networks. He was also afraid of how the situation would develop.

"Prejudices from Facebook worry me a lot," Ahmetovic says.

Elvis Berisha: Both the government and we have been doing the wrong thing

Now that a case of infection has emerged in the Roma community, it is estimated that the virus will spread significantly faster due to lifestyle, large number of household members, frequent visits to relatives, mobility within the community and cramped facilities - Elvis Berisha, the well-known Roma activist, says in an article for CIN-CG. 

- The UMRE Civic Initiative, consisting of 70 activists from the Roma and Egyptian communities, is actively working to inform the community about the symptoms of the virus and protection measures, but also about the measures of the Government and the National Coordination Body (NCB). We are also working hard to find funds to provide food and hygiene aid packages for vulnerable families.

In cooperation with Help and with the support of the European Union, we managed to provide 600 packages for about 400 families in Herceg Novi, Niksic, Berane and Bjelo Polje. We invite other actors, especially the Roma Council, to get involved.

Most of the Roma community makes money by collecting secondary raw materials, selling at a flea market and working in the gray zone. Now, almost no family can make a living, because of the lockdown so they can’t provide money for food. Families that are formally registered to be in social need received 50 Euros each from the Government. However, those who do not have a resolved legal status in Montenegro or any income call us on a daily basis, and they are in the most difficult position. 

I fully respect the temporary measures introduced by the Government to prevent the spread of the new corona virus. However, since I am very familiar with the bad situation in the settlements inhabited by the Roma and Egyptian communities in Montenegro, I claim that they cannot be implemented. An additional aid is necessary, in order to enable adequate protection: masks, gloves, disinfectants and especially food aid packages.

We cannot ask a community that has been affected by the poverty virus for years to stay at home, if we know that they do not even have a meal a day. It is necessary for the Government and the Institute of Public Health to translate all the measures and information they publish into Romani in order for this community to understand and respect them.

So far, we have not received a straight answer from the Government for any of the proposed measures. In cooperation with the Red Cross, we are making a list of the most disadvantaged families who need urgent help, but there is still no answer from the Government whether it will provide funds for everyone who needs food. Everything that has been distributed so far has been done thanks to donations from NGOs and individuals. To our knowledge, the Government has not provided any aid packages and that has to be changed. So far, we have informed close to 40,000 people through an online campaign in Romani and Albanian about corona virus protection measures.

With the first case of infection in a Roma settlement, the National Coordination Body (NCB) is considering whether to extend the isolation measures from one building to the entire neighborhood. On behalf of UMRE, we also proposed that a representative of the Roma community be included in the NCB, for a more efficient analysis, but we did not receive a response of any kind.

We are aware of the difficult situation, but in addition to these increasingly strict measures, we expect that in the coming period, families will be in an even more unenviable situation.

Therefore, anti-epidemic measures introduced by the Government of Montenegro, although necessary, may trigger a social crisis that will lead to further spread and deepening of poverty.

Given that the Government of Montenegro is the majority owner of Electric Power Industry of Montenegro, we ask:

• to reduce the current price by 30 percent to all citizens, in the next three months (from April 1);
• to postpone paying the electricity bills for the duration of the current measures - except for those who have the opportunity and want to do so on a regular basis;
• not to disconnect network customers while measures are in force;
• local governments to provide access to water to all citizens in the next three months and reduce prices by 50 percent.

We also call on telecommunications and cable operators to demonstrate social responsibility by lowering prices, or approving payments in installments of debt incurred during anti-epidemic measures.

Many families ask us for help when it comes to online learning. There are families that have no smart phones, so they have no insight in instructions and tasks children are given from the teachers. In families where only one parent has a mobile phone, and he works in utility company, children also do not have the opportunities to attend online classes or do homework until he returns from work. There are also families with more school-age children who only have one mobile phone.

After everything that happened, I can conclude that we from the civil society organizations, as well as the Government, have been doing things wrong in the previous ten years. Once the epidemic is over, we must focus on providing all Roma settlements with infrastructure, access to water, electricity and basic living conditions. Without that, we cannot expect progress in any field of life, least of all in education – Berisha concludes. 

Potrebno je nastaviti sa obezbjeđivanjem stipendija i mentorskog programa, promovisati pozitivne primjere učenika i studenata, obezbijediti kvalitetnu praktičnu nastavu, ali i promovisati princip afirmativne akcije prilikom upisa Roma i Egipćana, kaže Samir Jaha, rukovodilac NVO Mladi Romi  

Broj Roma i Egipćana (RE) koji se odlučuje za školovanje i poslije osnovnog obrazovanja svake godine raste, ali to je i dalje neadekvatan i spor proces, koji je neophodno da društvo snažnije podrži. O tome govore i nedovoljna upješnost savladavanja gradiva i još mali broj onih koji dosegnu više obrazovne nivoe  – pokazuje analiza Centra za istraživačko novinarstvo Crne Gore (CIN-CG). 

Iz populacije od oko 8.000 stanovnika, u Crnoj Gori osnovnu školu trenutno pohađa 1.800, a srednju školu 115 učenika. Od srednjoškolaca, samo jedan pohađa gimnaziju, dok su ostali na stručnim smjerovima. 

Do sada je studije na crnogorskom državnom univerzitetu uspješno završilo jedanaest studenata iz RE zajednice, dok 12 i dalje studira. Ovu školsku godinu upisalo je šest novih studenata od čega je troje upisano po principu afirmativne akcije, sa blažim kriterijumima, dok je troje upisano u redovnoj proceduri – saopšteno je nedavno prilikom sastanka predstavnika Univerziteta Crne Gore i Ministarstva za manjinska i ljudska prava. 

Iako je riječ o simboličnim brojkama to djeluje kao napredak, jer prema saznanjima NVO Mladi Romi, godinu ranije nije bilo novih romskih studenata, a poslije tri godine u Beranama je opet upisano nekoliko Roma u srednje škole.

„Prema našim saznanjima sa terena, broj mladih iz RE zajednice koji će pohađati proces obrazovanja na sva tri nivoa ove školske godine biće znatno veći, što nas posebno raduje i ohrabruje da i dalje promovišemo unapređenje ovog procesa. Rezultati njihovog postignuća u školi su, međutim, ono o čemu treba da povedemo računa i što bi, institucije sistema, civilni sektor i ostale koji se bave ovim problemima trebalo da dodatno zabrine“, kaže za CIN-CG Samir Jaha, izvršni direktor NVO Mladi Romi. 

Na osnovu  istražavanja ove NVO za školsku 2018/19 godinu na uzorku od 122 učenika, odnosno polovine onih u završnim razredima osnovne škole, nije bilo ni jednog odličnog učenika, vrlodobar samo jedan, dobrih 33, dok je dovoljnih 88. Ukupan prosjek ocjena je bio 2,23, što je posebno problematično za nastavak školovanja. 

„Bez mentorske podrške koju obezbjeđuje NVO Mladi Romi uz finansijsku podršku Romskog edukativnog fonda (REF) i Evropske unije, bez stipendija koje obezbjeđuje Ministarstvo prosvjete, broj učenika u srednjoj školi bi se značajno smanjio“, kaže Jaha.

On ukazuje da startna pozicija RE djece nije jednaka vršnjacima iz većinske populacije. Učenici nemaju adekvatnu podršku u učenju, što od starta procesa obrazovanja utiče na loš uspjeh. 

Jaha smatra da je u osnovnom obrazovanju neophodno obezbijediti saradnike u socijalnoj inkluziji za oblast obrazovanja u svim školama u kojima nastavu pohađa 20 i više učenika iz RE zajednice, osigurati mentorsku podršku učenicima, omogućiti besplatne udžbenike i školski pribor. Potrebno je organizovati i dodatne obuke za nastavnike, kako bi imali više senzibiliteta za rad sa RE učenicima. Uključivanje roditelja romske i egipćanske djece u rad roditeljskog savjeta u školama, jedan je od uslova na kojem insistira Jaha. 

U izvještaju Ministarstva za ljudska i manjinska prava o sprovodjenju Strategije za socijalnu inkluziju Roma i Egipćana za 2019. godinu se navodi da je na svim nivoima obrazovanja problem prevashodno nedovoljno razvijena svijest o važnosti obrazovanja ove populacije usljed loše socio-ekonomske situacije u kojoj se nalaze. Jedan od izazova sa kojima se romska i egipćanska djeca srijeću tokom obrazovanja je i nedovoljno poznavanje službenog jezika. 

NVO Mladi Romi već dvije godine realizuje dva projekta iz oblasti obrazovanja RE učenika iz osnovnih i srednjih škola - Unapređenje osnovnog obrazovanja – prvi korak ka kvalitetnom srednjem obrazovanju, kao i Povećanje pristupa i učešća romskih učenika u srednjem obrazovanju i prelasku na tržište rada. Cilj je povećanje stepena završetka školovanja kao i poboljšanje školskog uspjeha RE učenika. Finansijski su podržani od Romskog obrazovnog fonda (REF) i Evropske unije.

„Kroz oba projekta sprovodimo i mentorsku podršku učenicima, i za tu aktivnost angažovano je 79 nastavnika i profesora koji su radili sa učenicima RE populacije u proteklom periodu. Njihova uloga je da prate rad učenika, pružaju im podršku u cilji sprečavanja prijevremenog napuštanja obrazovanja, motivišu ih da se usavršavaju kao i da nastave svoje školovanje“. 

Za sada, Jaha navodi da imaju „samo pozitivne rezultate“, pa planiraju da nastave i u predstojećoj školskoj godini. 

Tokom prvog talasa epidemije korona virusa, NVO Mladi Romi su za RE učenike osnovnih i srednjih škola obezbijedili i 160 tableta sa internetom u vrijednosti od 20 hiljada eura, kako bi mogli da prate nastavu od kuće u skladu sa novonastalom situacijom. 

U oblasti obrazovanja RE učenika u srednjem i visokoškolskom sistemu, Jaha ocjenjuje da je potrebno nastaviti sa obezbjeđivanjem stipendija i mentorskog programa, promovisati pozitivne primjere učenika i studenata, obezbijediti kvalitetnu praktičnu nastavu, ali i promovisati princip afirmativne akcije prilikom upisa učenika na fakultete. 

„Za učenike srednjih škola, dobro bi bilo i stvoriti uslove da se svaki po završetku zaposli uz pomoć fondova za stažiranje i podrške poslodavcima.“

Lideri zemalja Zapadnog Balkana 5. jula 2019. godine u Poljskoj potpisali su Deklaraciju o integraciji Roma. Ovim dokumentom predviđa se niz mjera kojim bi trebalo drastično popraviti status Roma u ovim državama. Države Zapadnog Balkana su se obavezale da će raditi na povećanju upisa i stope završetka osnovnog obrazovanja Roma na 90 odsto, i upisa i stope završetka srednjeg obrazovanja na 50 procenata. 

Delija: Ne odustajte

Jedan od rijetkih koji je krenuo ka višim sferama obrazovanja je Miljaim Delija, student na master studijama na fakultetu za sport i fizičko vaspitanje djece.

„Obrazovanje za mene kao pripadnika egipćanske zajednice je jako važno, kao i za moju porodicu. Može mi donijeti, prije svega, lak pristup svim ustanovama, posao za koji se obrazujem i dobar tretman u društvu”, kaže Delija za CIN-CG.

On ocjenjuje da se obrazovanje mladih RE, u odnosu na period kada je on počinjao da se školuje, zadnjih godina poboljšalo i da je podrška države odigrala važnu ulogu.

“Romi i Egipćani sada lakše ostvaruju svoja prava, imaju stipendije, što unazad nekoliko godina nije bio slučaj”.

Ključnu ulogu u procesu obrazovanja smatra Delija, ipak, imaju roditelji. Njihova podrška školovanju djece dominatno je usmjerena na muškarce, dok djevojke češće ostaju kod kuće.

Delija poručuje sunarodnicima/ama da je obrazovanje pravi put za izlazak iz začaranog kruga siromaštva.

„Poruka za mlade je da ne odsutaju od obrazovanja, jer je to pravi put ka uspjehu. Da nastave srednju školu, idu na fakultet… Tako će pomoći sebi, a kasnije porodici i cijelom društvu”, poručuje Delija.

Serđan BAFTIJARI