The company owned by businessman Dejan Pejović was granted a 600-square-meter space for the Hard Rock Café following a tender process in which the conditions were altered mid-course, contrary to regulations. As a result, bidders who had offered significantly higher lease amounts were disqualified, while the highest-ranked bidder—Pejović's business partner—ultimately withdrew from the project. This incident mirrors a previous situation in which Pejović secured a lease for a section of Kamenovo beach for a nominal fee.

Andrea PERIŠIĆ

Podcafe F&B LLC was granted a 600-square-meter space in the heart of Podgorica, on Independence Square, under highly favorable terms by the former administration of the Capital City, specifically the Public Institution National Library Radosav Ljumović. This space now houses the Hard Rock Café (HRC), located within the library building, offering views of the Square.

The agreement was finalized in 2022, during the final months of Ivan Vuković's tenure as mayor of Podgorica and the rule of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS). Under the terms of the deal, Podcafe F&B, owned by Dejan Pejović and Mladen Brnović, secured the use of a prime location in the City for just 3,684 euros per month, with a 10-year lease and an option to extend for an additional 10 years.

However, even this relatively low rental amount could have been further reduced. According to the contract, which the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG) had insight into, the lessor is committed to deducting the costs of adapting the premises from the rent, following an investment assessment by a commission appointed by the mayor.

The amount invested in the Hard Rock Café and the rent paid by Pejović's company remain unclear, as CIN-CG could not obtain this information. However, expert estimates suggest that several hundred thousand euros were spent on this upscale establishment. As a result, the capital city may receive only a symbolic sum for such a prime location.

National Library Radosav Ljumović, the institution housing the Hard Rock Café, told CIN-CG that they currently have no information on the amount the company invested in the Hard Rock Café or the exact rent being paid. They explained that, according to the procedure, the rent payments go directly into the Capital City's budget.

According to the documentation held by CIN-CG, rent collection for the Hard Rock Café was initially scheduled to begin on November 1, 2022. However, assessing the value of the funds invested in the building's renovation was first necessary.

The first meeting of the Investment Assessment Commission, appointed by former mayor Vuković in September 2022, occurred in mid-November of the same year. However, the Commission did not provide an assessment. According to the conclusion, which CIN-CG had insight into, it was stated that "without the report from the expert supervision of the works, the Commission will be unable to determine the total value of the completed works, delivered and installed devices, equipment, and other goods and services." Notably, the conclusion lacks both signatures and seals. It is also worth mentioning that the president of the Commission was Sanja Vojinović, who was the assistant director of the Library at the time.

The Capital City informed CIN-CG that, on May 11, 2023, the Library submitted a request to the Office of Mayor Olivera Injac to appoint a new Commission, as two members of the previous Commission, Filip Aleksić and Filip Lalić, were no longer employed by the City. However, they did not clarify whether the new Commission was formed or whether any assessments were conducted.

Until the publication of this investigation, CIN-CG had not received any responses from Dejan Pejović, the owner of Podcafe F&B, to questions regarding the amount spent on the adaptation of the Hard Rock Café or whether rent payments are being made.

It's immediately apparent that a significant investment has gone into the space. The interior features the signature style of the Hard Rock brand, with a spacious bar, high ceilings, and luxurious lighting and flooring. Additionally, there is a store where visitors can purchase branded merchandise.

Pejović's Business Partner, the Top Bidder, Fails to Appear at Bid Opening

Five bidders responded to the public call for leasing the space, issued by the National Library Radosav Ljumović in January 2022: Bip Hotels LLC, Podcafe F&B LLC, Tabacco&Drinks LLC, I&S Team LLC, and Dejan Labović, as an individual. The tender also specified that the future tenant would be required to organize cultural activities in line with the guidelines set by the Capital City.

Bip Hotels submitted the highest bid, offering a monthly rent of 11,408 euros and committing to organizing 43 cultural events.

Tabacco & Drinks offered 10,060 euros per month in rent and organized 12 cultural events, while I&S Team submitted a lower bid of 7,800 euros per month, including 12 cultural events.

Dejan Labović proposed a rent of 7,050 euros per month and committed to organizing 12 cultural events.

The winning bidder, Podcafe F&B, submitted the lowest lease offer, at just 3,684 euros, slightly above the minimum required by the tender. However, the company stood out by proposing the most cultural events, a total of 80.

How could the company with the lowest lease offer win the tender? One month after the competition was announced, the criteria were changed mid-procedure, disqualifying three bids: Tabacco & Drinks, I&S Team, and Dejan Labović. Labović and Tabacco & Drinks filed appeals with the Administrative Court and submitted objections to the Commission's decision. Meanwhile, the top-ranked bidder, Bip Hotels, failed to show up and withdrew from the process. As a result, the company offering the least for the lease emerged as the winner.

This is not the first time Dejan Pejović, co-owner of Podcafe F&B, has benefited from a tender despite not submitting the best offer. In 2016, his company, Kamenovo Beach, secured a lease for a part of Kamenovo Beach, offering just three euros more than the minimum price set in the invitation. As a result, this prime space, famous for hosting student parties, was leased for only 26,475 euros for one year.

Similar to the situation with the Hard Rock Café location, the top-ranked bidder for Kamenovo beach withdrew from the tender despite offering a substantial sum, nearly half a million euros. The first-ranked bidder, Vaso Dedivanović, notably worked as the general manager at Pejović's company on Kamenovo after Pejović took over the beach.

At the time, other tender participants raised concerns and warned that the beaches were being leased out for an unreasonably low price through fraudulent practices. One company would submit a large bid to eliminate competitors, only for another company to offer slightly more than the initial bid and secure the lease after the first-ranked bidder withdrew.

Pejović was also granted the space of the former student buffet in the Technical Faculty building in Podgorica for the Desetka café during a time when Miloš Pavićević, a close relative of Pejović, was in charge of the University Sports and Cultural Center. Vijesti and other media outlets have previously investigated this.

The interconnected nature of this deal is evident in several ways. For instance, Bip Hotels, which made the best offer for the space on the Square but then withdrew, was previously operated by the owner of the former Pejović bar Desetka. According to the Central Register of Business Entities, Stanko Vidaković, listed as one of the founders of Bip Hotels in 2015, is now the company's owner. Vidaković is Pejović's business partner through Montenegro Beach, a sister company of Pejović's former company, Kamenovo Beach. Furthermore, CIN-CG has been told unofficially that Vidaković is Pejović's godfather. Interestingly, Vaso Dedivanović was employed as a manager at Bip Hotels.

Bip Hotels' address is Studentska Street BB, Lamela 7, the same location where other Pejović companies, such as Montenegro Tourist Service, are based. Stanko Vidaković's LinkedIn profile further reveals that he previously worked as a sales manager at Montenegro Tourist Service.

Disqualified Bidders File Lawsuits

Let's revisit the tender: one month after the initial call, the Radosav Ljumović Public Library has issued Amendments to the Public Call, revising several key points.

These amendments require bidders to hold a certificate for an established environmental protection management system compliant with the "MEST EN ISO 14001:2016" standard issued by an accredited certification body. In the original call, bidders were only asked to refrain from using single-use plastic products in accordance with the "ISO 14001:2016" international certification.

Additionally, the scoring criteria for organizing cultural events have been revised.

As a result, the tender appeared to be specifically tailored to Pejović and his company. Three bidders were disqualified for lacking the required certificate, even though it was not stipulated when the competition was initially announced. The Commission justified its disqualification with claims of "untidy, improperly submitted documentation." This left only Pejović and his godfather in the running.

The bidders who filed complaints, Dejan Labović and Tabacco & Drinks LLC, argued that the amendments to the public invitation altered the conditions in a way that influenced the decision, which they believe violated the procedure and contradicted the bidders' expectations. Their objections focused on the certificate for the established environmental protection management system, the plan and proposal for cultural activities, and the failure to publish the invitation in the public media.

Labović's complaint states, "The notification is filled with unfounded and inaccurate claims, lacking an established factual basis, and contradicts the original requirements. It also questions the legitimacy of the Commission, as it failed to establish the relevant facts necessary for resolving this specific administrative matter, which are outlined in the applicable substantive regulations."

In its complaint, Tabacco & Drinks LLC states that "the client's statements are incorrect and based on generalizations and unverified facts."

At the end of April 2022, Labović and Tabacco & Drinks LLC filed disputes with the Administrative Court. In these lawsuits, lawyer Saša Vukotić, as CIN-CG has learned, argued that obtaining the additional certificate required more time and that such a certificate is not mandatory, primarily if the bidder is not engaged in production activities, in which case the certificate is unnecessary.

In its complaint, Tabacco & Drinks LLC also asserts that the top-ranked company, Bip Hotels LLC, is registered for "hotel and similar accommodation services," rather than for "restaurant and mobile catering activities."

It is up to the new authorities to determine what motivated the Capital City's decision, under Ivan Vuković's leadership, to lease this exclusive space to Pejović. Until then, this privileged businessman continues to control public assets that were essentially handed to him for a nominal fee.

Rents in the City Center Are Significantly Higher

Advertisements from 2022, as shown on the Estitor website, reveal that even smaller commercial spaces in the center of Podgorica were rented for higher prices at that time.

For example, a 260-square-meter business space in the "Hilton" was rented for 4,160 euros, while the 600-square-meter space now occupied by Hard Rock Café was leased for just over 3,500 euros.

A 502-square-meter space in the city center, though in a less favorable location than the one leased to Podcafe F&B, was rented for 5,000 euros. Additionally, a 120-square-meter office space on Bokeška Street went for 2,500 euros, and another 90-square-meter space on Njegoševa Street was leased for 1,400 euros.

Citizens Asked for New Tourist Attractions in the Heart of the Capital

Hard Rock Café is a global chain of themed restaurants, with its first location opening over 50 years ago in London. The brand has since expanded to include cafés, hotels, and casinos, and now operates in more than 200 locations worldwide. The first Hard Rock Café in Montenegro opened in 2015 within the Atlas Capital Plaza complex, marking the franchise's debut in the region. Spanning 800 square meters, it featured a café, a restaurant with over 150 seats, a spacious terrace, a stage, and a Rock Shop offering a variety of merchandise such as t-shirts, caps, hoodies, and more.

However, the bar has since closed due to poor performance, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Investor portal reported that the restaurant had been operating at a loss from the start, with accumulated losses exceeding one million euros by the end of 2018. At that time, according to Montenegrin media, the restaurant was managed by a company with a similar name, Padcafe, owned by EE F&B HOLDING LIMITED from the Cayman Islands. In contrast, the franchise itself was owned by the Abu Dhabi Financial Group (ADFG).

The reopening of this establishment, however, sparked significant reactions. The public Facebook group Eyes of Podgorica, where citizens report local issues, was filled with mostly unfavorable comments regarding assigning such a prime location to this chain. Many expressed concerns, questioning which tourists would be drawn to Podgorica by brands like Hard Rock Café, especially when they occupy the best space in the City.

Citizens argued that such a prime location should host a venue that would be recognized for its cultural and artistic content.

The strategic impact assessment sharply critiques several proposals in the Draft Spatial Plan of Montenegro, highlighting their failure to adequately consider protected areas, sustainable development, and society's genuine needs. Issues persist with problematic solutions, including the dam on Komarnica and the military training ground on Sinjajevina.

Maja Boričić

The Strategic Impact Assessment (SIA) of the Draft Spatial Plan of Montenegro until 2040 warns that the construction of hydropower plants on the Komarnica and Piva rivers would irreparably harm biodiversity, habitats, and the landscape. Despite these warnings from the non-governmental sector and segments of the professional community, the Plan still allows for the possibility of building these hydropower plants.

The government of Dritan Abazović adopted the Draft Spatial Plan of Montenegro in the final weeks of its mandate. Initial reactions indicate that the Plan contains numerous controversial provisions, which could intensify debates over the future management of the region and the direction in which Montenegro should develop.

The newly established Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism, and State Property, led by Janko Odović, has not responded to multiple inquiries from the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG) concerning the Draft Spatial Plan.

Hydropower Plants: Komarnica, Krusevo, and Boka

The Draft Spatial Plan includes proposals for the Komarnica hydropower plant, the Kruševo HPP, and the Boka HPP along the coast. These areas are classified as Emerald sites, potential UNESCO World Heritage extensions, and regional park zones.

Experts consulted by CIN-CG argue that these projects should be removed from the Plan.

While the Komarnica HPP is technically the most advanced, it faces significant opposition due to its environmental impact and lack of support from institutions responsible for environmental protection. The draft plan mentions this issue but offers no clear resolution.

The document also states that Montenegro's domestic power plants can currently meet most of the country's electricity needs, with imports now accounting for less than 10% of total consumption—a shift driven by the closure of the Kombinat Aluminum Plant (KAP) in Podgorica.

Nataša Kovačević from CEE Bankwatch highlights a UNESCO decision that obligates Montenegro to carefully assess the potential impacts of the Komarnica HPP on the Dragišnica and Komarnica Nature Park. If the project results in negative environmental effects, it must be rejected.

Kovačević also points out that international spatial planning practices typically include clear decisions on whether certain areas, particularly protected or sensitive zones, should be excluded from projects.

The Draft Plan's Strategic Impact Assessment identifies the proposed hydropower plants as clearly conflicting with nature protection goals. Despite this, the Plan leaves the Komarnica HPP proposal unresolved without a definitive stance from the state.

Regarding the Kruševo HPP, the Assessment highlights its location within the Dragišnica Komarnica Nature Park, noting a direct conflict with the park's preservation and Montenegro's Nature Protection Law. Experts suggest that alternative locations should be considered.

The Boka HPP is deemed "completely unacceptable" in the draft plan, due to its potential to release large volumes of freshwater into the Risan Bay. This could disrupt the natural balance of the marine ecosystem, especially given the nearby protected areas of Sopot and Dražin vrt, which are set to receive permanent protection by the end of the strategic assessment process. Additionally, the transfer of such a large volume of freshwater from Lake Bileća would severely disrupt the natural balance of the marine ecosystem in this section of the bay.

Andrijana Mićanović from the Montenegrin Society of Ecologists (CDE) warns that the continued push for outdated projects, such as these hydropower plants, reflects a failure to evolve beyond the mindset that prevailed when the last Spatial Plan was created.

She argues that Montenegro is pushing projects that have long been abandoned in developed countries, while disregarding recommendations from the European Union (EU), UNESCO, the Berne Convention, and various other agreements the government has signed. "If we are planning the destruction of areas like the Komarnica River canyon, which is recognized and protected nationally and internationally, it clearly shows that we lack a coherent vision for our country's development," Mićanović explains.

The Strategic Impact Assessment further highlights that many proposed locations for energy sector development directly conflict with nature protection and the preservation of biodiversity-rich areas.

The document emphasizes that "insufficiently clear guidelines for land use allow concession contracts to be signed first, only to recognize conflicts with nature and environmental protection later. This is a long-standing issue in Montenegro that must be addressed."

Thermal power plant "Pljevlja"

In its annual report on Montenegro, the European Commission (EC) highlights the lack of focus on environmental standards in energy infrastructure projects and the lack of progress in finding alternative energy solutions.

The report emphasizes that Montenegro must strategically decide to replace the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant, which currently generates about 50% of the country's electricity but remains the leading polluter.

The EC further assesses that the ecological reconstruction of the Pljevlja Thermal Power Plant (TE Pljevlja) does not address the fundamental issues, urging Montenegro to accelerate efforts to close the plant permanently. "Montenegro must plan a just transition by providing economic alternatives to communities most affected by the coal phase-out," the report states.

Despite numerous environmental concerns and Montenegro's international commitments on greenhouse gas emissions, the report notes that the expensive reconstruction of the Pljevlja TPP has continued.

Nataša Kovačević, coordinator for decarbonization in the district heating sector of the Western Balkans, points out that the draft spatial plan ensures the uninterrupted operation of the Pljevlja TPP, with no clear indication of a plan to phase out coal. According to Montenegro's international obligations, this should happen by 2035 or potentially earlier, given the financial burden from continued coal burning.

Kovačević stresses that renewable energy sources and energy efficiency must be prioritized in Montenegro, but these projects should be implemented in line with the "do no significant harm" principle.

She adds that, based on the draft plan's priorities, developers have not considered Montenegro's future EU membership by 2040 and the binding decarbonization regulations that will accompany it. Additionally, the Plan includes short-term coal mining projects in Pljevlja (Mataruge, Glisnica), which could endanger the region's sole water source.

Kovačević also notes the lack of clear guidelines for decarbonizing the heating sector, even though air quality in cities such as Podgorica, Nikšić, and Pljevlja is critically poor, primarily due to heating-related combustion.

She emphasizes the need for precise demographic data from the new census, a detailed national and energy climate plan, and clear timelines for phasing out fossil fuels to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, in line with the just transition roadmap.

In conclusion, Kovačević argues that the draft plan requires significant revisions before it can be subject to public debate and that it is unlikely to be ready by the end of this year.

SINJAJEVINA

The draft document still fails to address some of the most significant conflicts that arose during the discussion of the Spacial Plan concept, including the proposed military training ground on Sinjajevina, the construction of a wind power plant on Brajići, and the high-speed road corridor in the costal region.

The Draft Plan suggests that Sinjajevina could be used as a temporary military training ground and for agricultural purposes.

However, the strategic impact assessment recommends relocating military exercises outside of Montenegro, arguing that "Montenegro is a mosaic of areas with exceptional natural value and is too small to afford the 'luxury' of sacrificing any part for military exercises, which would have a significant negative impact on biodiversity, habitats, and the lives of people who traditionally stay in the mountains in summer."

Nevertheless, the Draft Plan notes that the Interdepartmental Working Group (IDWG) report indicates artillery exercises would occur two to three times a year, lasting up to 10 days, during periods when local agriculture is inactive. From October to May, the military would use the area for training activities that did not involve artillery.

"The army will not build permanent facilities on Sinjajevina, but will use temporary ones, such as tents and containers. Once the activity is complete, the area will be rehabilitated," states the IDWG report.

The report further clarifies that artillery fire would impact only about nine square kilometers of the 74.5 square kilometers designated for the Military Shooting Ground on Sinjajevina.

According to the IDWG report, the Government decision allows the Ministry of Defense temporary use of the Sinjajevina area, with the possibility of revocation if expert agencies identify environmental risks.

In the Municipality of Žabljak, the revision of the Draft Spatial Plan proposes declaring Sinjajevina a regional nature park to protect and promote the area for agricultural and tourism purposes only. The representative from Žabljak emphasizes that this would prevent the construction of military facilities and activities, which could lead to the complete degradation of the mountain.

Nataša Kovačević argues that having a military training ground in Sinjajevina is incompatible with the area's traditional agricultural practices. She points out that the Plan designates Sinjajevina as a potential nature park, noting that it is also an Emerald area and a critical bird habitat (IBA).

Kovačević warns that the military training ground will likely be established if the decision is left to the defense sector: "Military activities would displace shepherds and tourists from a large part of the mountain."

BRAJIĆI

The Draft Spatial Plan includes plans for constructing the Brajići wind farm, spanning the municipalities of Budva and Bar.

However, in its revision of the draft Plan, the Municipality of Bar points out that the Detailed Spatial Plan for the wind farm states explicitly that the area is unsuitable due to low wind conditions.

The Municipality of Budva is particularly opposed to the project, arguing that building a wind farm at Brajići would permanently damage an area rich in natural springs, cultural and historical landmarks, and rural residential structures.

Ornithologist Bojan Zeković from the Center for the Protection of Birds (CZIP) warns that the wind farm would significantly threaten birdlife. He explains that Montenegro has two primary bird migration corridors: one passing through the Bojana River delta and Lake Skadar, with a high concentration of raptors moving through Bjelopavlići to Nikšić polje, and the other along the coastal mountains of Orjen, Lovćen, and Rumija.

Zeković notes that out of 19 Griffon Vultures, four were spotted near the proposed wind farm location. The Egyptian vulture—a species recently reintroduced to Montenegro after nearly three decades—also passed through the Brajići area. He adds that Brajići is home to several endangered raptor species, including the striped eagle, which no longer nests in the area but still follows migratory routes through the region.

TRAFFIC

The Draft Spatial Plan of Montenegro no longer includes constructing the Virpazar port. However, the potential development of a waterway along the Bojana River—connecting Lake Skadar to the Adriatic Sea—remains on the table.

The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) stresses that Lake Skadar, a protected RAMSAR site and National Park, must not be subjected to nautical traffic development, particularly without clear regulations regarding the size and number of vessels.

In addition, the Draft Spatial Plan explores the possibility of constructing new airports in Ulcinj, Bar, Berane, Nikšić, Pljevlja, and Žabljak.

The SEA recommends re-evaluating these proposed locations. It specifically warns against building an airport in Ulcinj due to its proximity to the Ulcinj Saltworks, a protected site of international importance for bird species.

"It is important to note that the Ulcinj Saltworks constitutes over 30 percent of the criteria for closing Chapter 27 in the EU accession negotiations," the SEA emphasizes.

The proposed airport in Ulcinj would be located in the hinterland of Velika plaža, an ecologically sensitive area with unique species and habitats. The SEA argues that the construction of key transport routes such as the Bar–Boljare and Adriatic–Ionian highways will significantly improve access to the Ulcinj Riviera, eliminating the need for an airport.

The Center for Protection and Research of Birds (CZIP) has previously warned that Gornji Štoj, the proposed airport site, is the most important nesting ground for the bee-eater, a legally protected bird species. Developing airport infrastructure in this area would destroy its habitat.

CZIP Executive Director Jovana Janjušević told CIN-CG that the Draft Spatial Plan 2040 contains numerous dangerous and problematic proposals, which, if implemented, would mark Montenegro's environmental downfall.

She also criticized placing an airport near the Ulcinj Saltworks, highlighting its crucial role in meeting ecological benchmarks required for EU membership.

"If aircraft—one of the biggest polluters—are considered part of a plan to reduce CO2 and other climate-impacting emissions, then perhaps we should pave over Gornji Štoj entirely and replace the colorful birdlife with a 'hectic' airport," Janjušević stated sarcastically.

The Draft also suggests a controversial "high-speed road" along the coast, including a bridge crossing, contingent on consultation with relevant ministries, the Cultural Heritage Administration, and UNESCO. A 2018 UNESCO Report recommended abandoning the proposed Verige bridge.

In its comments on the Draft, the Municipality of Tivat insists that the expressway's route through the Bay of Kotor be clearly defined. The Municipality of Kotor also firmly opposes the construction of a bridge at Verige.

The SEA underscores the need for Montenegro's ministries to intensify dialogue with UNESCO and to consider conducting an additional Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for any proposed crossing of the Bay of Kotor as the Draft Spatial Plan evolves.

Many Goals Without Clear Solutions

Mićanović concludes that the prevailing focus remains on rapid economic growth—a fundamentally unsustainable approach. Nature protection, she notes, continues to be portrayed as a constraint on development rather than an integral part of it.

The Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment echoes this concern, stating that while the Draft Spatial Plan outlines numerous objectives, it lacks clear, actionable strategies for achieving them.

Furthermore, the document questions why the scenario of intensified environmental protection—referred to as the "ecological scenario"—has been dismissed without proper justification.

"The claim that Montenegro is not yet ready for such a scenario, without defined or evaluated criteria, reveals a lack of political will, expertise, and ambition to pursue a direct transition toward sustainable development. This position contradicts the country's commitments under various international agreements," the Assessment states.

It also highlights that the mapping of Emerald and Natura 2000 habitats has identified many ecologically significant areas—areas that remain unprotected and are increasingly exposed to human-induced pressures.

"The Spatial Plan of Montenegro must incorporate proper conservation guidelines for these habitats and ensure that planning decisions do not conflict with the imperative of their protection," the Assessment concludes.

Kovačević Demands Removal of Gas Power Plants from National Plan

Kovačević identifies the construction of gas power plants in Bar, Podgorica, and Pljevlja and associated gas infrastructure as among the most problematic elements of the Draft Spatial Plan. She firmly argues that these projects must be removed from the Plan.

"These are fossil gas investments," Kovačević warns, "and the construction of an LNG terminal would effectively block Montenegro from meeting the goals of the Green Agenda—particularly the phase-out of fossil fuels by 2050—and from honoring its commitments under the Sofia Declaration for a carbon-neutral Europe."

Rather than transitioning toward renewable energy sources, Kovačević criticizes the government for proposing infrastructure that would lock the country into long-term dependence on imported gas.

Montenegro consumes almost no gas, is not connected to international gas networks, and lacks a domestic gas distribution system. The construction of an LNG terminal would take five to ten years, meaning it wouldn't become operational before 2030," she explains.

She notes that this timeline would result in the terminal operating through the 2050s, precisely when Montenegro is expected to achieve climate neutrality.

"In other words, we're looking at a long-term investment that will become a stranded asset worth over a billion euros by the time Montenegro is meant to be climate-neutral," Kovačević concludes.

Montenegro Aspires to Become an Oil and Gas Producer

The Draft PPCG argues that the belief that the era of diesel and gasoline consumption is ending is an illusion.

It notes that even a complete global transition to electric passenger vehicles would reduce oil and gas consumption by only 20 percent. The Draft explains that the remaining 80 percent will continue to be driven by freight and maritime transport, aviation, and the massive demands of the petrochemical industry.

"Oil and gas will continue to play the role of primary energy sources worldwide for a long time. Bearing that in mind, Montenegro must continue developing the oil and gas exploration sector to become an oil and gas producing country," the document states.

Despite these ambitions, the existence of commercially viable oil and gas reserves in Montenegro has yet to be confirmed.

Even the youngest in Podgorica's Roma settlements are exposed to illegal substances, which seriously endanger their health, further hinder socialization and escape from poverty

Đurđa RADULOVIĆ

I tried marijuana and cocaine at the age of 13, Lejla, a Roma girl (real name known to the editorial office), tells the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG). She is still a minor, so the journalist obtained guardian's permission to talk to the girl.

Lejla is smiling, seems relaxed, and very approachable. Her eyes are filled with curiosity. She talks openly about his traumatic childhood, filled with insecurity. Her mother left her, her brothers, and her sister when she was only five. The other children were even younger. After a few years, the father went abroad and started a new family. He left the children with an older relative. Lejla says that she sometimes went to elementary school, but she does not know if she finished it or if she has a degree.

"I wander with my friends a lot," she says, talking about her early teenage years.

"We begged in different cities, I didn't come home for months, we did all kinds of things," she says.

At that time, she hung out with Roma children, but also adult dealers and other criminals, among whom there were also those from other communities. Drugs were easily available.

"There was always marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. I don't know from where", she recalls.

Many members of the Roma community with whom she hung out during her early teenage years were arrested for selling drugs, she explains. Some of the names from that period that she mentions, including the police inspector, were prosecuted for the criminal offense of drug trafficking, and other offenses - such as physical abuse.

Lejla saw a lot as a teenager. She recalls a friend whose body was found in Cijevna. She believes that she overdosed and was pushed into the river.

In some parts of the settlement of Vrela Ribnička, drugs are easy to find, dealers are everywhere, and the prices are several times lower than in the city; several interlocutors who wanted to remain anonymous and were involved in work with the Roma community in that Podgorica settlement, where some of our sources live, told CIN-CG.

Drug addicts also know this neighborhood. 

"When I went there to get drugs, children ran after me and asked me: 'What do you need?'" said a former addict who wanted to remain anonymous.

He used to buy heroin there.

"I could find a quarter of a gram for two and a half euros, while in other places, it was at least 10," he says.

"People use various things here, from alcohol to illegal substances," an elderly resident of Vrela Ribnička told CIN-CG.

He also admits taking all kinds of things.

"There is no other way to survive all this," he says and points with his hands to the dusty track made of macadam and gravel.

He no longer consumes anything, but his health is impaired. He claims that children take drugs from their early teenage years, and it is not uncommon to see a small child smoking.

The Police Administration did not respond to CIN-CG's three-times request, despite numerous calls, whether there is a higher rate of drug trafficking in the Roma settlements of Vrela Ribnička and Konik compared to other parts of Podgorica. We did not even get answers to the questions of whether children are involved in the process of selling narcotics and whether it is easier to get drugs in those neighborhoods.

According to the writings of several media, the police representatives were involved in the criminal activities of drug dealing and also operated in the neighborhoods where the most vulnerable live.

The Police Administration did not even answer CIN-CG's question whether their employees were part of a criminal organization that operated in Vrela Ribnička.

The spokesperson of the Police Administration, Marija Žugić, confirmed for CIN-CG that the questions had arrived and were forwarded to those responsible in that institution.

Unemployment, poverty, crime...

"The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) survey conducted by the Institute for Public Health in 2019 among high school students up to the age of 16 shows that drugs are available in Montenegro regardless of the region or social status the young people come from. This research shows that almost a third of high school students up to the age of 16 believe that they can get marijuana if they want to. A fifth of them believe that they can also get MDMA (ecstasy), and 15 percent cocaine and amphetamine. The settlement of Vrela Ribnička in Podgorica, in the worst-case scenario, deviates from the average, but nothing more than that. All this is very important to emphasize in order not to continue with the stigmatization of Roma and Egyptians, who make up the largest part of the population of this settlement", the Montenegrin Harm Reduction Network LINK told CIN-CG.

The research of the Ombudsman of Montenegro from 2018 also showed that more than 25 percent of students believe that it takes from 30 minutes to, at most, a few hours to get hold of drugs, which is a sign of easy availability.

"Field data shows that drugs are present in the settlement of Vrela Ribnička in Podgorica and that there is a perception of its availability and that it is possible to obtain it more easily than in other parts of the city. However,  these are not research data but observations from the field, so it is possible to reach wrong conclusions that would contribute to increasing the already pronounced stigmatization of Roma and Egyptians. Therefore, drugs are not ubiquitous in this neighborhood. We are only talking about an increased risk", the LINK representatives told CIN-CG.

Drug use, as well as the age at which a person starts using drugs, cannot, in any case, be linked to belonging to a particular ethnic group, they emphasize.

"Living conditions can influence someone to start using drugs. In that context, we can only talk about the increased risk of young people from these neighborhoods taking drugs," they said.

An article by the American Psychological Association (APA) states that numerous studies show that children who grow up in socially disadvantaged neighborhoods more easily develop a tendency to addiction. Research that included 11,000 children from 21 cities in the United States showed that those from poor communities have a higher chance of developing addiction habits.

Even if a child grows up in a financially and socially stable family, his psychological development will be significantly slowed down if he grows up in a neighborhood with a large number of unemployed people, poverty, crime, and the like. Such a child will have a greater chance of becoming an addict due to the influence of the settlement, the APA article explains.

Drug rehabilitation unaffordable for the poorest

When talking about the prevention of the use of psychoactive substances (PSs), this community is neglected, which shouldn't be the case, Marija Mijović from NGO Juventas tells CIN-CG.

"This community, partly due to the way of life and the high degree of stigma and discrimination that they inevitably face, do not always have access to the information they need, as well as preventive services that could potentially prevent the first use of PSs. This community is not in an enviable position when it comes to addiction rehabilitation options either, especially considering their often unregulated legal status that makes it difficult for them to access a health system that offers free addiction treatment. They can't pay for treatment options available in Montenegro," Mijović says.

"Rehabilitation options such as treatment in Podgorica's Kakaricka Gora, an institution for accommodation, rehabilitation, and resocialization of users of psychoactive substances, are not available to all members of this community, so we appeal to provide free treatment whenever possible," Mijović explains.

The NGO Juventas actively provides services to the Roma and Egyptians community through Drop-in centers and by holding activities aimed at psychosocial support and empowerment of members of this community, Marija Mijović added.

The Public Institution "Kakaricka gora" tells CIN-CG that the price of participation has been reduced from 330 to 230 euros and that the entire program is free for the citizens of Danilovgrad and Tivat because those municipalities have taken over the participation costs.

"In the hope that other municipalities will do the same according to their capabilities, we use every public opportunity to appeal for support and changes. We emphasize that the full price of the treatment at the institution is a total of 1,000 euros per month, but that the difference from the 230 euros co-payment up to the full amount is borne by the City of Podgorica, regardless of whether the clients are from Podgorica", Dijana Milošević, director of Kakaricka gora tells CIN-CG."

The Red Cross of Montenegro explains that for years, they have been helping Roma and Egyptians in various ways and that workshops were held to prevent addiction. The workshops were attended mainly by women.

There is no treatment for addiction in children

"Our country does not have an institution that deals with minors suffering from addiction. The issue is also the lack of child psychiatrists to whom these children could be referred for treatment. There is no continuous education and work on preventing first use in children", Marija Mijović says.

The NGO Juventas deals with young people, but minors who use PSs. They can only be supported with the presence of their parents or guardians, she explains.

Regarding prevention, continuous and effective programs funded by the state are essential, Mijović claims.

CIN-CG approached the Ministry of Health regarding the problem of the lack of an institution that deals with addictive diseases in children, but there was no response.

"The abuse of psychoactive substances when it comes to children from the Roma and Egyptian community, due to additional poverty, can affect young people as well so that after becoming addicted, they use the cheapest drugs that quickly destroy the body," Jovana Knežević from the Center for Roma Initiatives told CIN-CG.

The issue of the use of illegal substances further complicates social inclusion, which is already imbued with numerous challenges, Knežević explains.

Lejla spent about a year in a state institution that houses children without appropriate care. There, she stopped using opioid substances for good, but it was very challenging.

"I went wild. I was furious to be locked up there. They kept giving me pills in the evening to calm me down."

She says she hates that period of her life.

"Older boys sexually harassed me. I didn't feel safe…".

Today, she lives with her cousin, who is her guardian, and her younger brothers. Her cousin often reminds her that when she becomes an adult, she will have to become financially independent, Lejla says.

"I don't know how to find a job. I can read and write, but that is not enough", she says.

She regrets that her younger sister lives as she did until a few years ago.

"She now lives in that world... She's begging, wandering. She doesn't know where she lives. She hasn't been home for months. I hope she doesn't take drugs", says our young interlocutor, and her pleasant face becomes worried and sad.

Residents of the Ljubović Center mainly test positive for drugs

In about 80 percent of cases, the minors who come are positive on the psychoactive substances (PSs) test, Nina Delević, director of the Ljubović Center, an institution for juveniles with behavioral problems, tells CIN-CG.

She explains that this is also the case with children who come from other institutions, such as the Department for Juveniles at the prison in Spuž.

The prison in Spuž did not answer the question of CIN-CG whether they were aware that their minor wards come into contact with illegal substances and why this happens.

The multiple forms of vulnerability of girls and women from these communities make it difficult to escape from abusers. Shelters are often the only way out.

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"I was forced to get married to a man I didn't love. I was only 17, and he was much older. My husband, my brother-in-law, and my father-in-law beat me. Later, my older son was also violent towards me", Enisa (name changed to protect identity), a Roma woman in her fifties, says for the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG).

She is thin and trembles when she speaks. Her life is suffering. She lost two of her five children, and two were born with disabilities. She takes care of them while her third child, a son, threatens her and behaves aggressively, making her life even more difficult.

Enisa managed to escape and leave her husband and his family. The Podgorica NGO Woman's Safe House (WSH) helped her. "I stayed there for a year. I know that my husband was trying to find me. Luckily, I was well protected", Enisa explains.

After she left the Woman's Safe House, she moved from Podgorica to a smaller municipality. With the help of humanitarian donations, a house was built for her, where she now lives with two children with developmental disabilities.

Now, her son, who learned behavior patterns from his father, grandfather, and uncle, continues abusing her. "His attitude towards me is such that I often thought of killing myself."

A high percentage of Roma and Egyptian women in shelters

"Almost every year, 30 percent of the residents are Roma and Egyptian women," Nada Jelovac, a psychologist at the Woman's Safe House, tells CIN-CG.

Of the 38 persons accommodated in WSH in 2023, 16 are Roma and Egyptian, Jelovac says.

In the Domestic Violence Shelter in Nikšić, supported by the national SOS line for victims of violence, there is also a large percentage of Roma women. "During 2023, out of a total of 50 women and children, 22 were from the Roma population," Nataša Međedović, executive coordinator of the shelter in Nikšić, says.

"The largest number of violence cases in the Roma community remain unreported and unsolved. Even after reporting, Roma women, in most cases, return to the abuser. Poverty is a major cause," Šejla Pepić, a representative of the Roma Council of Montenegro, that protects women's rights within the community, told CIN-CG.

As one of the most vulnerable groups, Roma women are at increased risk of domestic violence, Pepić explains. Due to poverty, lack of information and education, and deeply held patriarchal beliefs, Roma women are additionally threatened.

In the last five years, there has been no research on domestic violence in the community, and data collected ten years ago show that around 50 percent of Roma and Egyptian women considered domestic violence acceptable. The problem, according to CIN-CG interlocutors, is that women from this community often do not recognize violence.

Zumreta Nerda was a girl of Roma nationality whose death in 2022 shook Montenegro. Her unmarried husband, Dalibor Nikolić, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina living in Bar killed her. Zumreta suffered abuse for years. Although her family members reported her partner to the police for violence against her, she denied it out of fear. Zumreta grew up in a violent environment - her father killed her mother when she was a girl.

Exposed to a high degree of violence

"Roma women usually suffer long-term sexual, psychological, and physical violence. They are exposed to intense abuse and have less opportunity to leave a violent relationship," psychologist Jelovac says.

"Parents who accept their daughters to return to family home rarely take their children. According to the principles of patriarchy by which this community is governed, children belong to the father," Jelovac explains. She reminds that most of Montenegro's population also followed this patriarchal custom.

The SOS Shelter for victims of violence in Nikšić says that Roma women suffering violence do not have the support of their primary family to leave the abuser.

"Data from 2023 show that all women from the Roma and Egyptian communities in the SOS shelter were victims of intimate partner violence. Each was exposed to psychological and physical violence - their movement, contacts, and communication were restricted, and half were forbidden to use the telephone. Two-thirds were under pressure from the family to return to the abuser, and only a quarter had some form of family support, such as, for example, emotional support or temporary accommodation", Nataša Medojević stated.

In the Roma family, it is still considered that men and older community members should control women. That is why women in a Roma family can be exposed to violence throughout their lives without recognizing it, especially forms of psychological and economic violence; the study "Family violence in the Roma and Egyptian community in Montenegro" from 2014 states.

Most things have stayed the same since 2014.

"I am not allowed to go out alone; I have to report every step to my husband and when he is not there to my mother-in-law. The children are forced to follow me, to tell my mother-in-law where I was and what I was doing," a member of the Roma community who lives in a settlement in Podgorica told CIN-CG.

She is in constant fear of her mother-in-law and husband. "I can't do anything about it... I have to be careful of my actions," she explains. She lives in extreme poverty. She begs and hunts through garbage containers for her children, husband, and mother-in-law to survive...

Limited access to justice

Apart from the fact that they rarely decide to break the cycle of violence, Roma and Egyptian women have limited access to institutions that provide support, Medojević explains. That is why access to justice for RE women victims of violence is hard to come by. "In a situation of high traumatization when it is necessary to report violence, Roma and Egyptian women must make a statement exclusively in the language of the majority community, which can be an issue, given that it is most often not their native language," Medojević says.

For minor victims of child-arranged marriages often accompanied by violence, there is no long-term sustainable solution the state should provide: accommodation, recovery, and empowerment to get out of the violence and start a normal life, Medojević explains.

The Woman's Safe House explains that their wards of Roma and Egyptian nationality often do not have appropriate documentation - some are stateless. Still, many of those who have citizenship also need personal documents. That is why initiating any administrative process, including court proceedings, is significantly more difficult.

Among the women of the Roma and Egyptian community, there is distrust in the work of institutions due to the lack of timely response from the competent authorities, Pepić from the Roma Council explains.

This is also confirmed by the Center for Roma Initiatives (CRI) fieldwork, which has protected girls and women in the community for years from arranged marriages and violence. "When the victims decide to report the abuser, they often have to call several times for the police to come, but it also happens that the police ask the victim to come to the police station to report the violence," Fana Delija from CRI told CIN-CG.

Receiving justice is often unavailable to women from other communities who report violence in Montenegro. The case of Šejla Bakija, who died at 19, confirms this. Her former violent partner killed her after she reported him to the police several times.

Penalties for domestic violence are still mild in Montenegro. The most severe sentence in 2022 imposed in Podgorica for domestic violence was two years, the Basic Court in Podgorica told CIN-CG. In 2022, 96 criminal cases for domestic violence were established in that court, of which 90 issues were resolved. Of these, 43 were prison sentences, but as many as 33 convictions were only conditional. The mildest prison sentence was 30 days.

Other sentences in 2022 for domestic violence were five sentences of imprisonment to be served in residential premises, four sentences of community service, two decisions on psychiatric treatment and custody in a health institution, and one fine. In addition, there was one decision on suspending the criminal proceedings and one on rejecting the indictment, the Basic Court stated.

From January to August 2023, 1,657 calls were made to the national SOS line for victims of violence in Montenegro, from 298 persons confirming that domestic violence is a behavioral repetitive pattern. "It is impossible to provide statistical data on the number of Roma and Egyptian women who called the SOS line," Medojević said.

Difficult but possible to get out

Roma and Egyptian women come to Woman's Safe House mostly on their initiative, Jelovac explains, which means that they are, to a certain extent, informed about the possibility of accommodation there. "They often ask the police to place them with us." Although it seems that access to information about WSH is difficult for them, they come on the recommendation of other women from their community in Podgorica", Jelovac says.

Unlike women from the majority population, Roma and Egyptian women are usually not interested in psychological and legal help but only accommodation. "No one in Montenegro provides psychological help in the Romani language, which presents an issue," Jelovac explains.

RE women often feel unsafe because of the way the community functions.

"They live in large families in the same neighborhood, so they are usually afraid that word will quickly spread about where they are hiding," Jelovac says.

During the half year that Roma and Egyptian women usually stay in WSH, this institution helps them become independent, which is often very complicated.

"It starts with collecting the papers of the women and children. We try to help with citizenship if they do not have it, renew their passports, or get documents from neighboring countries. We also explore services that can be provided through the Center for Social Work, try to enroll the children in kindergarten or school, and provide employment for the victims", Jelovac explains. "We cooperate with a cleaning agency, so we try to hire them there, or we advise the victims to look for jobs in markets or other places, mostly as cleaning ladies."

In addition to the service of a licensed shelter, Medojević emphasizes that in Nikšić, they also provide professional help from psychologists.

The above is encouraging, but the problem is the data that two-thirds of women from the Roma and Egyptian communities return to the abuser, which is significantly more compared to the majority population, where one in three women return, Medojević explains.

Younger generations are more informed about violence

Pepić from the Roma Council emphasizes the importance of education and financial independence of women of the Roma and Egyptian population.

"We work on motivating girls and women to get an education and a job because that's the only way to get out of poverty and fight for the rights, but also fulfill the obligations," Pepić says.

However, the situation is somewhat better for young Roma and Egyptian women. Recently, awareness of the importance of reporting violence has increased among new generations, and the level of information about rights is higher, Pepić states.

"However, among the elderly, a few women still decide to report abuse," she says.

"Better information about the basic rights of this population requires long-term efforts and cooperation with the community. It is important to ensure that the information is adapted to the needs and cultural contexts of Roma and Egyptians", Medojević says. The language barrier is one of the most significant issues, so translators and mediators who can help translate into the native languages of Roma and Egyptians are crucial.

The NGO Center for Roma Initiatives (CRI) says that Roma and Egyptian women are educated on reporting violence through its mediators.

"In recent years, Roma and Egyptian women most often report violence after talking to mediators hired by CRINK in several cities," Fana Delija says.

Enisa's life story, from the beginning of the article, confirms that cycles of violence are repeated. Not only did she fail to provide herself with a peaceful life, but her daughter is also now a victim of violence, for which no one has yet been punished.

Montenegro currently has just 46 mediators working across social protection, child welfare, employment, healthcare, and education. Although domestic and international organizations have been raising alarms for years about the critical need for more mediators, no government has yet taken meaningful action to address the issue.

Andrea Jelic

Sanja Selimović serves as a mediator for the Roma and Egyptian communities in the fields of social protection in Bijelo Polje and Berane. On a daily basis, she helps families access material assistance, disability benefits, and other social services. She also assists with scheduling medical appointments, obtaining necessary documentation, and navigating school requirements. On average, she supports up to five individuals each day. In these cities, as in many other parts of Montenegro, the demand for mediators far exceeds the supply.

"The biggest problem is that there is no healthcare mediator in Bijelo Polje, so I take on that responsibility as well," Selimović explains to the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG).

According to the 2011 Census, around 6,000 Roma and 2,000 Egyptians live in Montenegro. Nearly 1,000 of them reside in Bijelo Polje and Berane.

In recent years, almost every European Commission report on Montenegro has emphasized the urgent need for more mediators and called for their formal inclusion in the public administration system. However, no government has yet tackled this issue in a substantial way, despite some ministries suggesting future increases in mediator numbers. Many people, in fact, are unaware that these services even exist.

Data from the NGO HELP reveals that of the 34 individuals who completed certified mediator training, 21 are now working in local institutions (social work centers, employment offices, and healthcare centers) in nine municipalities. Of these, seven are employed at social work centers, six at employment offices, and eight at healthcare centers. Since the completion of HELP's training program at the end of 2022, mediators have been contracted through the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, with positions lasting for one year, beginning in January of this year.

Sanja's sister, Tanja, also works as a social protection mediator in Berane and Bijelo Polje. They commute between the two cities, covering their transport and accommodation costs from their minimum wage of €450.

In Berane, many Roma and Egyptians speak Albanian or Sinti Roma, languages that the Selimović sisters do not understand, making their work even more challenging.

"The number of mediators in all institutions in Montenegro should be increased. It would make our work much easier and create a network that we could all rely on to help users," says Tanja Selimović.

The Role of Mediators in Accessing Services

According to HELP, mediators have made it easier for members of these communities to access essential services in healthcare, education, employment, and social protection.

"The number of people using healthcare services has increased... More individuals are now registered with employment agencies and are attending various retraining programs for faster access to work," the NGO notes. "In addition to helping with social protection rights, mediators often provide additional support to vulnerable or dysfunctional families."

Unmet Needs: A Story of Desperation

Arnela (name changed for privacy) is a mother of seven living in dire conditions in Konik, Podgorica. She lives in an improvised hut with her husband and children, some of whom are of school age but do not attend school. Due to their extreme poverty, they are forced to beg. Despite their obvious neglect and malnutrition, Arnela doesn't know where to turn for help.

"I’ve never heard of any mediators who could show me a way out of this situation. I don’t even know how to approach them, what I would say, or where to start," says Arnela, who is in her early thirties.

She has been pregnant 10 times, with three pregnancies ending in abortion, leaving her with serious health complications. Despite these challenges, she remains unaware of her rights or available support services.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MRSS) told CIN-CG that there are only nine mediators employed within Montenegro’s social and child protection system.

Research by the DeFacto Consultancy Agency in 2020 for the Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians (2021-2025) showed that nearly half of Roma and Egyptians access social services through centers for social work, with one-third receiving monthly financial assistance. However, barriers such as lack of information, language difficulties, and discrimination prevent many individuals from fully utilizing their rights to social benefits.

Mediators and the Prevention of Child Marriages

The role of mediators is also crucial in addressing serious issues like child marriage within Roma and Egyptian communities. According to a 2017 study by the Center for Roma Initiatives Nikšić (CRINK), the rate of child marriages is significantly higher in these communities, with over 28% of women and 16.5% of men aged 15-19 being married or in a union.

"Promoting the engagement of Roma and Egyptian mediators in awareness campaigns is essential," the study argues.

Zena Dubović, a mediator from Berane, has worked for years to prevent child marriages in her community, despite facing resistance. "It would help a lot if there were more mediators to share the workload," she says.

The Employment Crisis

Data from the Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians shows that only about 800 Roma and Egyptians are registered with Montenegro's Employment Agency, with most of them being women. The Roma and Egyptian communities account for about 2% of the country's total unemployment rate, with more than 90% of those registered lacking formal qualifications. Many households have no employed members at all, while a significant portion has just one employed person.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare has stated that in the near future, efforts will be made to bring the social and child protection system closer to young people from these communities.

Healthcare: A Major Gap in Mediators

In Podgorica, the capital city, there are only three mediators in healthcare for the Roma and Egyptian communities. The Ministry of Health did not respond to CIN-CG's questions regarding the total number of mediators in the healthcare system.

The Strategy for Social Inclusion stresses that the number of healthcare mediators should be increased, particularly to support displaced and internally displaced Roma and Egyptians who face significant challenges in accessing healthcare.

Education: Mediators in Short Supply

In the education system, there are just 25 mediators for approximately 1,750 Roma and Egyptian students. The standard quota is one mediator for every 70 children, though the system is struggling to meet even this minimum. Veljbana Naza, a mediator at an elementary school in Nikšić, serves around 200 students from the Roma and Egyptian communities. "It would be ideal to have one mediator for every 30 students," she says.

The Ministry of Education acknowledges the need for more mediators and plans to address this issue in the coming period. However, organizations like HELP have warned that the current quota system is inadequate, as one mediator cannot provide quality support to so many children.

The Lack of Mediators Hampers Social Inclusion

The insufficient number of mediators is preventing the social inclusion of Roma and Egyptian communities in Montenegro, according to HELP. Mediators in healthcare, social protection, and employment still lack formal recognition in the public administration system. HELP advocates for the systematization of these positions and better working conditions for mediators, who often work under short-term contracts and receive minimal pay, with most of their salary going towards transportation costs.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vital role of mediators, with some being forced to visit multiple households and schools per day without proper resources. "Mediators need additional funding for transport and communication costs, especially when working with families that lack internet access," the NGO Mladi Romi argued during the crisis.

A Missed Opportunity

Despite the crucial role they play, many mediators work under challenging conditions, and the lack of proper recognition and support remains a significant barrier. If the state invested in more mediators, and if more people were aware of these services, lives like Arnela’s might be different—her children might attend school, and her family could escape the cycle of poverty and neglect. But for now, the lack of mediators means that many, like Arnela, are left without the help they desperately need.

Women in these communities live even shorter lives than men due to the hardships they face, despite the fact that women generally have a longer life expectancy than men worldwide.
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"I have diabetes. I get free medication. The doctors told me I need to change my diet completely, but I can't afford to," says Ema (real name known to the editorial office), a 35-year-old woman from the Egyptian community. She is pregnant with twins and already has three children. Sitting on the floor next to a wood-burning stove in a modest but clean room, her disabled mother-in-law lies on the bed. Ema speaks quietly and seriously, checking on her lunch every hour.

Her blood sugar, she says, is often around 20, nearly four times the normal level. If untreated, diabetes can cause severe, even fatal, complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, vision loss, and gangrene.

Because of her pregnancy with twins, Ema needs extra calories. "I eat the same things I ate before the diagnosis: bread, pasta, legumes. Doctors told me not to eat that, but I had no choice. After a meal, I take an insulin shot—that's all I can do," she explains.

Roma and Egyptians in Montenegro have an average life expectancy of about 55 years, which is about 20 years shorter than the majority population. There has been no serious study on why this gap exists. Such a short life expectancy is typical of the world’s poorest countries, such as the Central African Republic.

"Women in the Roma and Egyptian communities in Montenegro live shorter lives than men due to the high number of births and the challenging life of raising many children," explains Dr. Melisa Spahić, a family medicine specialist at the Podgorica Health Center in Konik, where many members of these communities are patients.

While this is the doctor's observation, Dr. Spahić notes that no specific studies have been conducted on the life expectancy of Roma and Egyptian women. This trend is unusual, as women in the majority population in Montenegro—and globally—typically live about five years longer than men.

CIN-CG has previously reported that Roma women in Montenegro have children at a young age, often as minors, and that they give birth to far more children than women in the majority population. They also frequently lack proper medical care during pregnancy and reproductive health. This leads to chronic health problems at a relatively young age.

A 2018 UNICEF survey in Montenegro found that 36.9% of women aged 20 to 24 had given birth to at least one child before their 18th birthday.

According to a 2022 study by the Center for Roma Initiatives (CRI) in the Riverside settlement, some stateless women had never seen a gynecologist, gave birth at home, and faced discriminatory attitudes from doctors, even in emergencies.

"I gave birth to two children at home, without registering them in the birth register, because they sent me away from the hospital for lack of documentation, even though I was in severe pain. My mother-in-law and daughter-in-law helped me give birth," one respondent shared during the research.

Multiple global studies confirm the negative effects of having many children and giving birth at a young age on women’s health and longevity.

A 2016 study from the University of California, based on a sample of over 20,000 women, found that women who had their first child after age 25 lived longer than those who gave birth earlier.

Other research, including a major study conducted in Utah in 2016, found that having many children throughout life can negatively affect health even after the reproductive years end. It was concluded that men lived longer than women in Utah until the late 19th century and that women began to live longer only after a decrease in uncontrolled births, along with improvements in healthcare.

Poverty and Chronic Diseases—An Inevitable Link

Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension are the primary factors contributing to the shortened life expectancy of Roma and Egyptians, according to Dr. Spahić.

"Roma and Egyptians don’t get enough physical activity and tend to eat unhealthy foods. In their circumstances, it’s hard to afford a balanced diet. Many live without basic living conditions, which leads to a higher incidence of diseases like metabolic syndrome, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver, and heart problems," explains Dr. Spahić.

Enisa (real name known to the editorial office), an 18-year-old Roma girl from the Riverside settlement in Berane, tells CIN-CG, "I'm overweight and have a hormonal imbalance. I can't lose weight. It’s hard for me to stop eating sweets." Enisa suffers from insulin resistance, a condition that can lead to diabetes and metabolic syndrome. She says she can't afford a proper diet: "I eat sweets, I eat bread. Sometimes I’m very hungry, and that’s all we have at home," she explains.

According to data from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study, women are generally at a higher risk of disability from chronic diseases, have higher mortality rates from diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and live more years with illness. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death among women globally, followed by stroke.

In Montenegro, studies show that Roma and Egyptians suffer from chronic and infectious diseases at much higher rates than the majority population. A 2018 UNICEF survey found that one in five Roma children under age five had developmental delays, compared to just a third of that number in the majority population. Over 95% of Roma children under age two were found to be malnourished.

A study by Imperial College London on 1.7 million people found that people of low socio-economic status have a 46% higher risk of early death compared to those in better social standing.

Several global studies also highlight the link between poverty and chronic diseases. People with low incomes are more likely to suffer from conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, with 30% of the risk stemming from the stress caused by poverty. Stress leads to weakened immunity, which then makes people more susceptible to illness, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Poor Housing Conditions and Health Risks

Living in poor housing conditions has been linked to asthma, cardiovascular disease, mental illness, infections like tuberculosis, and other health problems, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr. Spahić explains that Roma and Egyptians often do not understand how the healthcare system works—how to make appointments, keep track of examination schedules, or buy medications.

"For chronic diseases, it’s crucial to monitor progression, which requires regular doctor visits and proper treatment," says Dr. Spahić.

A significant portion of the Roma and Egyptian population in Montenegro lacks access to healthcare or insurance due to their unregulated legal status, or they avoid healthcare services due to discrimination. Many also lack awareness of health issues and healthcare systems, as noted in the Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians (2021–2025) by the Government of Montenegro.

Limited Access to Health Resources

"I nearly had heart surgery," says Anisa, a 35-year-old Roma woman from Berane, who has been a heart patient for four years. "My condition worsened recently, and I couldn’t wait for the check-up at the public hospital, which wasn’t scheduled until May." She had to pay over 150 euros for an appointment with a private doctor, plus transportation costs to Podgorica.

Only 10% of Roma and Egyptians in Montenegro know about health associates in their communities, according to the government’s Social Inclusion Strategy (2021–2025). Of those, only a fifth have used the service, and around half believe it could be useful for them.

Milica Vujadinović, a healthcare associate in Podgorica, explains, "We help people by arranging several specialist appointments on the same day to reduce travel costs, especially for those who rely on social assistance. In some cases, we even manage to arrange home visits."

The Ministry of Human and Minority Rights told CIN-CG that these healthcare associates will only remain in place until January 2024. However, both the Ministry and international humanitarian organizations are advocating for these positions to become permanent.

Educated Mothers, Healthier Children

The goal of the Social Inclusion Strategy is to increase the life expectancy of Roma and Egyptians. In 2023, the projected average life expectancy is around 57 years, and in 2025 it is expected to rise to 58 years. However, these figures are lower than initially projected—61 years by 2025.

Dr. Melisa Spahić explains that education plays a crucial role in health. "Education is key to understanding and managing one’s health. Unfortunately, many Roma and Egyptians in Montenegro have little to no education, which impedes their ability to access healthcare."

UNICEF’s 2018 research found that the level of a mother’s education is closely linked to her children's health. Among mothers with secondary or higher education, no children were found to be developmentally delayed, while 25% of children born to uneducated mothers had developmental issues.

The Montenegrin Institute for Public Health (IZJZ) advises healthcare workers to consider the full context of Roma and Egyptian communities and emphasizes the importance of healthy eating and food safety. However, CIN-CG found that many health centers in areas with large Roma populations still face challenges in fully implementing these recommendations.

The societal divide would be smaller if children had the opportunity to learn about Roma culture.

Andrea JELIĆ

...

"I ran away to the Netherlands.
I gave birth to my tenth child.
I had my eleventh child in Sweden.
I am forty years old.
I speak Romani (my mother tongue), Russian, Slovak, Romanian, Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian, Italian, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, and a little English…
My family is like 'Europe in miniature.'
I’m getting old…”

These are excerpts from the poem "CV 1" by the romologist, writer, and philologist Hedina Tahirović-Sijerčić from Bosnia and Herzegovina. These lines about the migration of Roma men and women are just a small part of her body of work. She has published fairy tales, poetry, memoirs, and various folk tales to help preserve Roma culture.

In Montenegro, no school subject addresses Roma identity, origin, traditions, literature, or language. This was revealed by a study conducted by the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG).

If children in our country were taught more about the rich Roma culture in schools, the ethnic divide and the lack of understanding about the lives of Roma men and women (who number around six thousand in Montenegro, according to the last population census in 2011) would be much smaller, say CIN-CG sources.

"Then, for example, we could discuss why Roma people write bilingually or why poetic expression is the most natural for them. But how can children learn about the culture of their fellow citizens when there are no teachers equipped to educate them? That’s why it’s crucial to establish studies in romology to train that teaching staff," explains Tahirović-Sijerčić to CIN-CG.

"Water is shallower than blood,
The song of the wire died in her
From the cries and moans of many beings."

This Romani folk song, in which Roma men and women have encapsulated their journey from India to Europe, was recorded by Rajko Đurić, one of the most renowned romologists from the region. Đurić, who passed away a few years ago, was also a doctor of sociology.

He argued that the most important thing for Romani culture is to be, not to have, and that this is best reflected in the Romani language, where there is no verb for "to have." To express possession, Roma men and women would say man si love instead of I have money, which roughly translates as, "money owns me."

If male and female students in Montenegro had the opportunity to read some of Đurić's works, they could, for example, learn about the Roma people's exodus, the first Indian king Harsha (who is believed to have Roma origins), Roma religion and mythology, literary creativity, or how the term "Gypsy" became a diagnosis.

Đurić also wrote about a phenomenon that is only now starting to be scientifically explored: Roma are bilingual in every country where they live, meaning they speak two languages.

When asked which Romani authors children could and should learn about in schools, the Ju Center for the Development and Preservation of Minority Culture told CIN-CG: "They should learn about Ruždija Rus Sejdović, the author of several books and collections of stories—Eremit, which we published in 2011 and is the first book in Montenegro written in standardized Romani, as well as Light at Midnight and Kosovo Carousel."

Slobodan Savović, the Director General of the Directorate for General, Secondary, Vocational, and Lifelong Education, a professor of history and geography, explains to CIN-CG why Roma history isn't taught in secondary schools: "One of the problems is that history classes have been reduced to a minimum... With such a small number of classes, we cannot seriously analyze or study any content related to ethnic characteristics or the cultural and economic life of any community, including the Roma community. Everything in the curriculum is reduced to a basic recognition level."

Another problem, Savović points out, is that the course content primarily focuses on political history. "Given that the Roma community has not significantly influenced the political history of Montenegro in the past, it is logical why there is nothing about them in this context," he states.

So far, the NGO Roma Youth Organization Koracajte sa nama - Phiren amenca has not observed any teaching materials in the Montenegrin education system that address Roma culture. "Roma history, customs, literary works, and language are still a complete unknown. This is one of the reasons why the trend of increasing ethnic distance persists," explains the executive director of this NGO, Elvis Beriša, to CIN-CG.

The overwhelming majority of Podgorica high school students know nothing about Roma identity, history, and culture.

A significant majority of high school students from Podgorica are unaware of Roma identity, history, and culture, according to a 2020 survey titled Acquaintance of High School Students from Podgorica with the History, Language, and Culture of the Roma, conducted by Beriša's NGO.

Where do the Roma come from? In which century did they come to Europe? How long have they lived in Montenegro, and what groups exist within the Roma community? What are the glories of Roma culture and tradition? These are just some of the questions posed to secondary school students in Podgorica.

A staggering 77 percent of those surveyed had no idea where the Roma originated, and the rest were unsure—some thought they came from India, others from Egypt. Nine out of ten high school students didn’t know when the Roma first arrived in Europe. Only a handful of people could even answer how long Roma have lived in Montenegro, and they could be counted on both hands.

An almost overwhelming majority—98.2 percent—of high school students in Podgorica do not even know which Roma groups live in Montenegro. Fewer than 5 percent of them are aware that "Đelem, Đelem" is the Roma anthem.

Podgorica's secondary school students also do not know the meaning of the term "Gypsy." A significant 62.7 percent said they had no idea what it meant, while 21.8 percent thought it was a synonym for "Roma." The rest gave answers that ranged from "derogatory term for Roma" to "black," "dirty," "untouchable," "poor," "homeless," "thief," and "uncultured." About 87 percent of students are unaware of how many Roma perished during World War II and why.

It is concerning that over 75 percent of respondents said they would be opposed to a Roma person becoming their spouse or family member. On the other hand, most said they would be okay with a Roma being their neighbor, friend, boss, professor, or even president of the country.

More than half of the students, about 56 percent, believe that Roma culture and traditions are not adequately covered in school textbooks. Slightly less than half—around 45 percent—reported encountering any material on Roma during their schooling. Furthermore, 42 percent expressed interest in learning more about Roma culture and traditions through the school curriculum.

"The level of ignorance about the language, history, and culture of the Roma among high school students in Podgorica is alarmingly high, ranging from 50.8 to 98.5 percent. Such results point to a lack of awareness about multiple identities and a significant disregard for diversity," concludes the research.

Teaching content is insufficiently diverse.

If similar research were conducted in other municipalities across Montenegro, the results would likely be similar. According to experts from the NGO Roma Youth Organization Phiren Amenca, this situation stems from a lack of teaching materials that represent different cultures.

The Institute for Education confirmed to CIN-CG that Roma culture is not included in Montenegro's educational curriculum. "Our curriculum allows for a free section where content on Roma culture could be included," the Institute stated.

The Law on Basic Education also provides for a flexible curriculum, within which teachers, in collaboration with local communities and families, should address socially sensitive issues.

However, CIN-CG sources warn that without clear legal mandates, we cannot expect substantial changes. "It is impossible to compel teachers to include content about Roma identity in the curriculum. Teachers are free to choose how to allocate 20 percent of the material. Given that they have almost no knowledge of Roma history, culture, or language, it’s unrealistic to expect them to plan for it," says Elvis Beriša.

In his view, one solution would be to incorporate Roma culture into the curriculum at the Faculty of Philosophy, so that future educators can acquire the necessary knowledge. "This barrier can be overcome if teaching staff make an effort to hire someone from the Roma community who can bring Roma history, language, and culture to life through creative workshops for children," Beriša suggests.

The Institute for Education, however, insists that teaching content is designed by experts. "Ethnic or national groups are not directly included; only experts and specialists are involved in creating curriculum content, which is based on scientific, national, and local outcomes."

The Ministry of Education (MOE) told CIN-CG that in addition to the free part of the curriculum, there is also a cross-curricular area in primary and secondary schools dedicated to "Education for and about Human Rights," which is mandatory. "This area ensures that students learn the principles of social, civic, multicultural, and peace education, helping them understand how a democratic society functions," they said.

According to Beriša, the Roma Council plays a key role in improving teaching programs and content.

"However, due to a lack of capacity within the Roma Council or insufficient advocacy by the Ministry of Education, none of the programs created so far address Roma culture, history, or language," he explains.

CIN-CG reached out to the Roma Council with several questions, but at the time of publication, no response had been received.

Romology at the Institute for Foreign Languages.

In Croatia, romology (the study of Roma life) and Roma studies—a subfield focusing on the Romani language—have been established as academic disciplines, even though the Roma population there is smaller than in countries like Serbia. However, student participation in these programs has been low.

Similar initiatives have been attempted in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, but they have not gained traction.

In Italy, Roma studies and Romani language research are also limited. Universities there generally lack programs dedicated to the Roma, and courts often struggle to find qualified Romani language translators. Still, some initiatives led by individuals are thriving. In 2021, Santino Spinelli, a Roma musician and professor, launched the Roma National Academy (ANR) in Chieti, Italy, with the support of the Union of Roma Communities in Italy (UCRI). The Academy focuses on Romani language and culture, offering courses and publishing research.

In Montenegro, a Romology program was launched at the Institute of Foreign Languages in 2023. The program offers four modules: "Roma Identity and Identity Dilemmas," "Roma Culture," "Roma Language and Culture," and "Roma Literature." Classes are held in the evenings, and the program was initiated by Igor Lakić, Dean of the Faculty of Philology, and Hedina Tahirović-Sijerčić.

"Our goal is to assist the state in initiating activities related to the Roma language, culture, and literature, and to raise public awareness about the Roma community," says Lakić.

So far, the Institute has completed two modules, each attended by fourteen students. "Participants have been Roma activists, people from various organizations involved in Roma initiatives, and individuals from the general population. Although this is the first program of its kind, we are pleased with the turnout and hope for greater interest in the future," Lakić adds.

A key priority is the introduction of Romology studies at the Faculty of Philology. "This would help train teachers to teach Romani in schools once it is introduced into the primary school curriculum, which is being planned. It would also provide training for work in journalism, where we lack educated Roma professionals, and in other fields. Preliminary talks have already taken place with relevant ministries, but this initiative cannot move forward without the active involvement of the Roma community," Lakić explains.

The Romani language is dying, and few ask why.

Hedina Tahirović-Sijerčić highlights the decline of the Romani language, noting that few ask why it is happening.

"Roma are ashamed to speak Romani in public because others avoid them as if they were contagious. Fear of the future has led young people to abandon their mother tongue. Discrimination has contributed to the language's extinction, as well as to the loss of identity—many Roma are now declaring themselves as belonging to other nationalities," Tahirović-Sijerčić writes in her book Romani Čhib: Special Reviews of the Language and Culture of the Roma.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Roma are the largest national minority, a project to introduce Romani language and culture into primary schools began in 2022 in Tuzla Canton. The subject will be optional, though it is unclear when it will be officially introduced due to a lack of qualified teachers.

While Montenegro ratified the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages in 2006, which protects minority languages including Romani, similar initiatives have not yet emerged in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Ministry of Education states that each year it offers scholarships for students pursuing careers in fields with shortages. Two scholarships are awarded annually for the study of Romani, but there have been no applicants so far.

According to Tahirović-Sijerčić, the situation is similar across other countries in the former Yugoslavia. "As far as I know, Romani is not taught in schools anywhere in the region," she says.

Roma origins didn't bother Charlie Chaplin, Sonya Kovalevska, Pablo Picasso, Ronnie Wood...

Throughout their education, students may learn about the great Pablo Picasso, one of the founders of Cubism. However, few know about his Roma origins, which he proudly acknowledged.

Charlie Chaplin, the iconic silent film star, was of Roma descent.

Rita Hayworth, one of Hollywood's biggest stars, was also Roma.

John Bunyan, the famous English author of The Pilgrim's Progress, was Roma.

Juri Dombrovski, a Roma writer from Moscow, is known for his novel Cuvar Starina. He was exiled to Siberia under Stalin, and his writings offer invaluable insight into the Stalinist era.

Ronnie Wood, guitarist for The Rolling Stones, is also of Roma descent.

The pioneering Russian mathematician Sonya Kovalevska, the first woman professor in Northern Europe, was Roma.

Helio Gómez, a political graphic artist in Spain, was Roma.

Today, Bosnian Roma artist Selma Selman is at the forefront of the fine arts scene.

The Roma origins of these influential figures are often overlooked, yet their contributions to world culture are immeasurable.

The Legend of the Romani Goddess Bibi.

The legend of Bibi (Aunt), one of the important Romani goddesses, tells of a deadly disease—plague or cholera—that was ravaging the earth. Many people were dying, and Bibi appeared in a storm, carrying two lambs. She knocked on many doors, but no one would open to her. Finally, at the end of the village, she found a family with sick children. Despite their poverty and fear, they allowed her to stay the night.

Before leaving, Bibi spoke to the father of the house: "Thank you, good man. You welcomed me kindly. Your children will recover, and I want you to tell all Roma never to turn away a traveler in need."

Afterward, Bibi disappeared, and the children recovered. Roma around the world continue to celebrate the Bibi holiday, honoring her as the protector of families and children's health.

LGBT+ Roma are invisible, and thus their existence is somehow denied both in the Roma and the LGBT+ community, says transgender Roma woman Ana Jovanović. The Draft Law on the Protection of Equality and Prohibition of Discrimination recognizes more severe forms of discrimination, including multiple and intersectional discrimination.

Miloš RUDOVIĆ

Racial discrimination is the first form of discrimination they encounter, and later in life they face discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This is briefly the experience of Montenegrin and Balkan Roma men and women in the LGBT+ community.

"All this makes it difficult for Roma men and women to fit into a society prone to discrimination, so it very often happens that they have to hide at least one part of their identity and use it as a strategy for survival. LGBT+ Roma are invisible. Thus, their existence is somehow denied both in the Roma and the LGBT+ community," 33-year-old Ana Jovanović, a transgender Roma woman, told the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG).

The latest European Commission report shows that the Roma and LGBT+, along with people with disabilities, are the most vulnerable groups in Montenegro and that discrimination and hate speech against them are rising. The situation is not much different in the region.

The CIN-CG interlocutor loved to play with dolls, wear her mother's clothes and act like a girl when she was growing up. The mother never had a problem with it, but her stepfather disapproved of it, so she was taught that it was not how boys should behave.

Exactly ten years ago, this now 33-year-old woman from Novi Sad had a traffic accident when she lost her voice due to shock. Her mother noticed that she was becoming depressed and different. In the meantime, as Ana recovered from the accident, they began to talk about her feelings. "Please tell me if you are gay, I know that losing your voice is not just because of the accident," her mother said. Ana replied that she was not gay but a trans woman and her mother accepted her identity.

Although she has the support of her mother, Jovanović is often faced with double discrimination.

"The fact that I am a Roma woman and a transgender person in Serbia is enough to be discriminated in all segments of life: work, housing, health, interpersonal relationships, and the list could go on even further. However, aware of this risk, I took all possible steps to protect myself from discrimination and surrounded myself with people who support me, who come from both the Roma and LGBT+ communities," she said.

Currently, she experiences minor discrimination in the field of employment because she works for a non-governmental organization that deals with the protection of human rights.

"However, when it comes to health and education, I share the fate of every LGBT+ person, except that I have another additional burden: the color of my skin. Therefore, all the problems that come with the transition process and the legal entanglements of changing the name on the degree are absolutely the same, and I experience the same pain as all transgender people in Serbia. Given that I have just entered the transition process and am still waiting for the change of documentation I expect to face more extreme cases of discrimination in future because we live in a transphobic country," she said.

The Ministry of Human and Minority Rights is aware of the increasing presence of homophobia and racism.

"The historical courses of racism and homophobia are quite similar. In both cases, they refer to marginalized groups. As such, they cannot influence the creation of social policies and the improvement of the societal position," the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights responded. 

They also added that anti-Gypsyism and multiple discrimination are the main reasons for their social exclusion. In contrast, the reasons for their unfavorable position are high unemployment, low school enrollment, completion rates, and generally poor living conditions.

The Ministry is working on the new Law on the Protection of Equality and Prohibition of Discrimination. The draft of the new Law recognizes more severe forms of discrimination, including multiple discrimination, that is, discrimination against the same person or group of persons on several grounds that can be separated. In addition, intersectional discrimination is recognized, i.e., discrimination against the same person or group of persons on several grounds that interact so that they cannot be separated.

This Draft Law also foresees high penalties for perpetrators of severe forms of discrimination, ranging up to 3,000 euros for individuals and up to 30,000 euros for legal entities.

"We believe that the new Law on the Protection of Equality and Prohibition of Discrimination will be a strong backbone, which will enable us to fight more decisively against all forms of discrimination, and especially against severe forms of discrimination such as multiple and intersectional discrimination," the Ministry stated.

The deputy protector of human rights and freedoms, Nerma Dobardžić Kurti, told CIN-CG were no cases of double discrimination based on belonging to the Roma and Egyptian communities and the LGBT+ population reported to the Ombudsman. 

"Members of the Roma community and the LGBT+ community represent one of the vulnerable groups that are most exposed to the risk of discrimination," she said, adding that the latest research by the Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM) speaks in support of this.

In the research presented in December, it is stated, among other things, that the most common hate speech is against Roma and Egyptians, women, and LGBT+ people.

The NGO Center for the Affirmation of the RE Population (CAREP) executive director, Nardi Ahmetović, told CIN-CG that "the Roma community is highly patriarchal and since discrimination against the LGBT+ community is a taboo, members of the LGBT+ community are afraid to come out. We also believe that some people are members of our organization and the LGBT+ community. As an organization dealing with human rights, we respect and support the struggle of marginalized groups, in this case, the LGBT+ community," he said.

He points out that they have had no complaints or requests for help from Roma who belong to the LGBTIQ+ community.

"We believe that there are people who belong to the LGBT+ community who suffer double discrimination in the mentioned areas," he said, adding that the Roma community respects differences even though "many problems are present within the community."   

CAREP points out that they are the only Roma youth organization that voted and supported the "Together for LGBT+ Rights" coalition. Center for Roma Initiatives is also a member of this coalition. 

"I believe that soon, this topic will be recognized in the Roma community. Our organization will respect human rights and strive for the Roma community, whether it belongs to the LGBT+ community or not, with all its differences, to be equal in Montenegrin society," Ahmetović said.

Ahmetović also stated that education is crucial, noting that the Roma LGBT+ community is not the only one that suffers double discrimination, but also its persons with disabilities.

"AraArt" is the only non-governmental organization in Europe that exclusively deals with the Roma LGBT+ minority and multiple discrimination.

According to the director of "AraArt," David Tišer, two things need to happen to reduce double discrimination.

"First, intersectional discrimination must be addressed systematically and sustainably. We need to educate people on this topic and make them aware of the different groups of people affected by intersectional discrimination. The second level concerns legislation," Tišer told CIN-CG.

"The Romani LGBT+ minority faces discrimination not only on the part of the majority because of ethnicity or sexual orientation but also on the part of the Roma community, which is very traditional and perceives homosexuality as unacceptable. They are sometimes excommunicated from the family or the whole community. Consequently, they become homeless, stay on their own, without their families and friends," the AraArt website states.

This organization also publishes the stories of LGBT+ people of Roma origin from different parts of Europe. Apart from Jovanovic, the experience of 21-year-old Marko from the Czech Republic is also shared on its website. 

"I committed the first attempted suicide at the age of ten. I fell victim to bullying. Not because I am a Roma but because I am gay. Roma is at the fringe of Czech society. Gays are at the fringeof Romany society," he shared his experience.

It is difficult to know if there are such shocking experiences in Montenegro because LGBT+ in the Roma community is still taboo.

Only two out of 22 final decisions for trafficking refer to begging and arranged marriage

Maja BORIČIĆ

The crime was committed ruthlessly, especially since the perpetrator is the parent of the injured party. He was convicted before - for violence against his wife and children, selling the youngest child in exchange for a motor vehicle, sexual exploitation of his wife, forcing his and other children to beg...

This is the essence of the first final verdict for human trafficking related to forced begging. The judgment was only passed in 2020. The convict forced his minor children to beg for years. If they refused, he would abuse them and their mother. He would take all the money they beg for himself.

In the last 19 years since human trafficking has been included in the Montenegrin Criminal Code (CC), only two out of 22 final convictions for trafficking refer to begging and arrange marriage. Both verdicts were below the legal minimum, the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG) found out by analyzing court practice in that area.

In the Criminal Code (CC), among other things, it is written that anyone who "recruits, transports, transfers, surrenders, sells, buys, mediates in the sale, conceals or keeps another person for his/her exploitation, a commission of criminal activity, sexual exploitation, begging, use for pornographic purposes, entering into an illegal marriage..." commits the criminal offense of human trafficking. Penalties range from one to 15 years in prison, depending on the type of crime committed, and the most severe penalties are prescribed when the victims are minors.

Although there are few legally binding court verdicts, we are witnesses that there are many more cases of the criminal offense of human trafficking in Montenegro and that the perpetrators and the victims are often Roma.

Roma children beg on the streets every day. This represents the most widespread form of economic exploitation of children. In addition, arranged marriages are treated as part of Roma tradition, even though they are a form of human trafficking. Such cases generally pass "under the radar" of judicial institutions.

"For more than a decade, we have been pointing out unequal access to justice for victims of child arranged marriage and begging. These are two social problems that require a strong legal response from the state in their control and prevention", Fana Delija, director of the Center for Roma Initiatives (CRI), told CIN-CG.

She emphasizes that the most common response of the judicial authorities is that there is no evidence and assesses that it is a case of poor pre-trial hearings and negligence during the investigative actions of the police and the prosecution.

"When evidence is not collected, or they are collected with a delay in its collection and execution during the process, it is expected that there will be a small number of proceedings because the perpetrator is expected to confess to the crime, to say that they took or gave money, that is, that they deliberately exploited the child," the director of CRI emphasizes.

That is why, Delija adds, the legal system must focus on other evidence, such as secret surveillance, undercover investigators, and more severe monitoring of information received from the civil sector.

"It should not be taken lightly that it is just 'what Roma people do.' It is something that society must deal with, and every child is important", Delija says.

Both times, the courts reduced the punishment for the "returnees"

The Criminal Code (CC) provides for at least ten years in prison for forced begging, for which the father of four minor children from the beginning of the article was accused. He was sentenced to ten years by the judgment of the High Court, but the Court of Appeal changed the sentence to eight.

The judicial panel of the Appellate Court, which included Zoran Smolović, Milenka Žižić, and Dragiša Rakočević, reduced the prison sentence by two years, justifying the decision by saying that the court that ruled for ten years did not give due importance to the established mitigating circumstances, i.e., family circumstances. Among other things, the number of family members abused by the convicted person was one of the reasons for the Appellate court to reduce the sentence below the legal limit.

Before this verdict, the accused was convicted five times for the criminal acts of domestic violence, rape, intermediation in prostitution, neglect, and abuse of minors...

The courts determined him low prison sentences in almost all of these cases. In one of the earlier verdicts, he was convicted because he sold his newborn child in exchange for a car. For that, he got only ten months in prison! And the offense was not treated as human trafficking but as the criminal offense of changing family status.

He received a sentence of 76 days in prison earlier also for abusing and forcing his children to beg and for violence and forcing his wife into prostitution. For the Montenegrin prosecutor's office, this was not human trafficking but neglect and abuse of minors, domestic violence, and mediation in prostitution.

"When she refused to have sexual intercourse with the person he brought, he hit her on the back with a wooden broomstick," it is stated in the verdict.

The second final verdict for human trafficking, which refers to forced marriage, ended with a sentence of two years in prison. However, according to the Criminal Code, this type of criminal offense is punishable by at least three years.

This decision became final in 2021.

The defendant abused his twelve-year-old daughter and forced her into marriage in exchange for 5,000 euros.

The judicial panel, which included Vesna Kovačević, Vesna Jovetić, and Srđa Vujović, concluded that unemployment and poor financial condition should be taken into account as mitigating circumstances for the convicted person, so they reduced his sentence below the minimum sentence established by the law.

The convicted person is also an "old lag," The court imposed him a light penalty several times before. He was sentenced to 14 months for aggravated theft and illegally possessing weapons and explosive materials. A year later, he received a lesser sentence for a repeated criminal offense - one year in prison.

Apart from these punishments for acts of begging and arranged marriage, in the last four years, Montenegrin courts have ruled only twice for human trafficking. One verdict of one year and two months in prison was brought as a settlement for the offense of human trafficking and mediation in prostitution. For years, the convicted woman forced several people into prostitution and took money from them. In another verdict, the mother and stepfather of the minor girl were sentenced to 15 and 17 years in prison for repeatedly raping the girl and forcing her into prostitution.

No convictions for forced marriages and begging until 2020

In the Analysis of court decisions from 2004 to 2019 in cases of human trafficking in Montenegro by the Supreme Court (SC), it was pointed out that sexual exploitation is the most dominant form of exploitation of victims. Other types of exploitation, such as organ removal, forced begging, and forced marriage, were not registered.

This Analysis stated that there were 18 human trafficking cases in which Montenegrin courts issued final decisions. Human trafficking trials in all courts lasted, on average, two years, four months, and two days.

The longest prison sentence was 17 and 15 years, while the shortest was six months.

The study concludes that men usually perpetrate human trafficking. Specifically, men accounted for 42 and women for six of the 48 defendants.

The highest percentage of victims of human trafficking are women: "Out of the 39 victims identified in the judgments, 26 were female, and 13 were male," it was pointed out in the Analysis.

That document states that of the 48 defendants against whom criminal proceedings were conducted, 40 were sentenced to prison terms, and seven were acquitted. The charges against one were dismissed due to the prosecutor's withdrawal from criminal prosecution.

The Analysis shows that convictions accounted for most of the court decisions – 40 out of 48 defendants were found guilty and sentenced to imprisonment. Seven defendants were acquitted, and the case against one defendant was dismissed because the prosecutor abandoned the prosecution.

Montenegrin nationals accounted for most (31 out of 48) of the individuals tried for human trafficking. Next came Serbia (8) and Kosovo (7) citizens. One defendant was a Ukrainian national, and one was stateless.

Most human trafficking victims were Montenegrin nationals, and eight of the 39 victims of human trafficking were underage.

"Although most human trafficking victims were Montenegrin nationals, the analysis shows that most of the cases had a cross-border dimension," the Analysis states.

It is added that Victim Support Services are not fulfilling their role in practice, presumably due to a lack of awareness of their existence among the general public and the victims.

A more robust judicial response to human trafficking needed

In the latest Report of the US State Department on human trafficking from 2022, it is pointed out that Montenegro did not fully meet the minimum standards in several key areas.

It highlights that fewer cases have been investigated and fewer suspects prosecuted than in previous years. The government decreased victim protection efforts, including allocating fewer resources to the shelter, identifying fewer victims, and lacking efforts to proactively identify victims among asylum-seekers, irregular migrants, and seasonal workers.

It is also noted that children, especially Roma, are exploited in forced begging.

"Romani girls from Montenegro reportedly have been sold into marriages and forced into domestic servitude in Romani communities in Montenegro and, to a lesser extent, in Albania, Germany, and Kosovo," the report states.

The Report also criticizes the Basic State Prosecutor's Office's (BSPO) work, with the assessment that the Higher State Prosecutor's Office  (HSPO)  should initially review all trafficking-related cases and refer cases not deemed as trafficking to BSPO.

"In previous years, Basic State Prosecutor's Offices (BSPO) stopped some potential trafficking investigations when they secured enough evidence to prosecute under Article 210 (brokering in prostitution) and did not investigate for more subtle forms of coercion or seek additional evidence through specialized investigative techniques," the report states. 

US State Department observers continued to report that the government assigned lawyers with little or no experience to victims, including lawyers with expertise in only civil proceedings, not criminal proceedings. 

It is also emphasized that there are no Romani language interpreters on the official list of court interpreters.

"Judges did not issue restitution in criminal cases or seize assets and property from traffickers towards restitution and/or compensation. Similarly, courts have not awarded victims compensation in civil proceedings, partly due to civil proceedings lasting two to five years, discouraging victims from seeking compensation", the Report concludes.

The latest Report of the European Commission (EC) points out that people in the Roma community, particularly women and children, remain at high risk of trafficking in human beings.

"Montenegro still needs to improve its capacity to prevent trafficking in human beings," the EC report emphasizes.

It is clarified that a more robust criminal justice response to trafficking in human beings needs to be provided, with shorter legal proceedings, more deterrent sentences, and systematic confiscation of the proceeds of crime. 

"Montenegro still needs to improve support to victims in trafficking-related trials," the document added.

In the absence of specialized lawyers and appropriate legal advice, it is pointed out that many victims do not seek the free legal aid to which they are entitled.

It is emphasized that in the absence of specialized lawyers and proper legal advice, many victims do not request the free legal aid they are entitled to.

"In the context of the ongoing Russian war of aggression on Ukraine and the arrival of Ukrainian refugees in Montenegro, additional efforts by the Montenegrin authorities are needed to prevent the risks of trafficking in human beings," the Report concludes. 

According to the last census from 2011, 8,305 members of the Roma and Egyptian population live in Montenegro, and half are women.

Research conducted by the Center for Roma Initiatives (CRI) back in 2014 showed that in Montenegro, as many as 72.4 percent of the Roma and Egyptian population get married between 12 and 18. Those under the age of 16 are forbidden to marry under the CC, and parental consent is required until they reach adulthood.

Although this research was conducted in 2014, interlocutors from the Roma community say that not much has changed, partly because punishments for these crimes are rare, and the victims from the community are mainly invisible to the Montenegrin judiciary.

Supreme Court: Avoid penalty mitigations

The Supreme Court (Supreme Court) pointed out in its Analysis that the Courts have also been applying the penalty mitigation institute frequently in seven cases (concerning 17 defendants, which "should be avoided given the gravity of the crime of human trafficking and comparative law practice."

The Analysis showed that the courts considered the following extenuating circumstances during sentencing: the defendants' circumstances, including their family circumstances/marital status, parenthood), health, age, unemployment, and poor financial standing). The Analysis adds that although the defendants' circumstances are essential, courts tend to provide general and insufficiently reasoned explanations for their decisions.

"It seems that Montenegrin courts appear to automatically refer to such circumstances not only when they sentence human traffickers but other criminal offenders as well," the Analysis of the Supreme Court concludes.

The Law on Higher Education does not offer affirmative action for Roma and Egyptian students

Miloš RUDOVIĆ

"I could have been in the fourth year of my studies instead of the first... I almost gave up. I was demotivated and discouraged that I would not be accepted at any university. And I believe that if my peers had encountered this problem, they would have given up immediately", Roma woman Violeta Hajrizaj says for the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN-CG).

Before getting a scholarship at the Faculty of State and European Studies, she tried three times to enroll in other faculties, two of which were for the journalism major at the Faculty of Political Sciences.

Apart from scholarships of 150 euros per month and a dormitory, the state of Montenegro cannot boast of special support measures for students from the Roma and Egyptian population. Instead of support, there are more obstacles to the university.

"There are many obstacles, but one of the biggest is the lack of affirmative action. This positive discrimination is still applied to people with disabilities, and the Roma and Egyptian community does not have that right", Nardi Ahmetović, a student of the Faculty of Philology in Nikšić, said for CIN-CG.

The Law on Higher Education stipulates that affirmative action is applied to persons with disabilities when enrolling in a study program and that they are exempted from paying school fees at both state and private institutions. The Law does not include the Roma and Egyptian community, despite numerous studies showing that they are among the most discriminated citizens in society.

Affirmative action is defined as a set of policies and practices that give certain advantages to specific groups, especially members of ethnic communities, that have faced injustices and been excluded from essential processes throughout history.

This possibility is also stated in the Law on Minority Rights and Freedoms, but not in the same way as in the Law on Higher Education.

As a health mediator, Ahmetović wanted to enroll in Social Work at the Faculty of Political Science. However, as he says, he received information from the Faculty representative that their hands are tied, and they cannot apply the affirmative action policy.

That is why Ahmetović decided to study Italian language and literature at the Faculty of Philology instead of Political Science.

"If we want to have young Roma and Egyptians who will advocate for a better position of their community and the entire society, we must give them the opportunity for education and advancement," he said.

The Dean's Office of the Faculty of Political Sciences said that when considering enrollment requests based on the principle of affirmative action, they are guided by the Law on Higher Education. They added that from 2006 to now, the Faculty enrolled seven students, members of the Roma and Egyptian population, according to the principle of affirmative action.

Last year, the Government adopted a new Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians 2021-2025, which foresees an increase in the number of educated members of the Roma and Egyptian community at all levels.

The Ministry of Education was obliged to submit to the Government at the end of last year the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Higher Education, which would include an initiative related to the implementation of affirmative action for students of the Roma and Egyptian population, as can be seen from the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Strategy. This Draft has not yet been submitted to the Government.

The Ministry told CIN-CG that a new Law on Higher Education would be drafted according to the work program.

"The draft that was done earlier is not valid. In the coming year, a new working group should be formed which will be in charge of amending the Law on Higher Education, where the question of introducing affirmative action for Roma and Egyptian students will be considered with special attention", the Ministry of Education stated.

The Law on Higher Education stipulates that undergraduate and master's students at public institutions do not pay tuition fees, while doctoral students at public institutions do. At private institutions, students of all study cycles pay a study fee.

In practice, this means that if a student at a public institution, regardless of nationality, completes the academic year, the study fee is not paid. Still, in the case of a renewal, the study fee has to be paid. "While at private institutions, all students, except for persons with disabilities, pay a fee for studying," the Ministry responded.

The Ministry of Human and Minority Rights told CIN-CG that they are advocating for the introduction of affirmative action when enrolling in the first year of studies and the exemption from tuition fees at all state and private faculties in the country. The analysis done before creating the Strategy for the field of education showed that "there is significant progress, but not yet sufficient for the complete integration of this community."

This Ministry says that the big gap in secondary education compared to the number of children from the Roma and Egyptian communities attending primary school is worrying. "The biggest gap is when it comes to attending higher education institutions by members of the Roma and Egyptian community since a minimal number of citizens of the Roma and Egyptian community enroll in higher education institutions," the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights stated.

As a form of affirmative action, the Ministry of Education has been paying scholarships of 150 euros per month to all Roma and Egyptian community students to increase the number of students. Scholarships are paid regardless of whether students from the Roma and Egyptian community attend private or state university.

For this academic year, 14 students from the Roma and Egyptian communities applied for the scholarships.

"At the University of Montenegro in the academic year 2021/22, seven RE students were enrolled, while in 2022/23 there were four RE students. We want to point out that "most of the enrolled students left their studies shortly after enrollment, " the Ministry of Education stated.

Vice-Rector for Education of the State University Veselin Mićanović told CIN-CG that 19 students who declared themselves as members of this community enrolled at the state university in the last six years.

Most of them are at the Faculty of Philology - seven, four at the Faculty of Political Sciences, three at the Faculty of Philosophy, two at the Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, two at the Faculty of Economics, and one at the Faculty of Medicine. At the other faculty units, no enrolled students declared themselves as students of this population. At the same time, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Civil Engineering do not maintain a database based on students' ethics or any other affiliation.

To increase the number of students from the RE community, the vice-rector for education says that the University of Montenegro has exempted students from this population from tuition fees. They are also trying to have an affirmative influence by implementing solutions from the Law on Minority Rights and Freedoms.

The Law on Minority Rights and Freedoms stipulates that the University of Montenegro, at the proposal of the Council of the minority, can enroll at the beginning of each academic year a certain number of students belonging to minorities, following the University statutes.

"University of Montenegro provides enrollment in each study year based on the principle of affirmative action so that the total number of places in each study program increases by one percent. Therefore, for all interested candidates, if they were below the enrollment quota, we applied the principle of affirmative action in order to stimulate them to continue their education", Mićanović said.

When asked whether the State University intends to initiate changes to the Law on Higher Education to introduce affirmative action, Mićanović said the University would advocate for its implementation. "In current practice, as stated, the above principle was applied to encourage members of the RE population to continue their education," he said.

Vasfija's average is 9.12

Private universities have different affirmative actions for students from this community.

As of this academic year, the University of the Mediterranean has its first student from the Roma population enrolled in master's studies at their Faculty of Law.

"As until this year, we did not have a single student who was a member of the RE population there was no real need to regulate this issue by passing special acts that foresee possible financial and other benefits. Of course, in case of greater interest in the future, we do not rule out that, in addition to applying affirmative action for persons with disabilities, we will also have special entry requirements for students from this population", Acting General Secretary Ivana Nikolić told CIN-CG.

Tusha Vasfije has been studying since last academic year at the Faculty of Business Economics and Law at the University Adriatik. "In the first year of her studies, she showed great commitment to the education process, passing all the exams provided for in the plan and program for the mentioned year of study, with an average of 9.12. The diligent work of the colleague mentioned above did not go unnoticed, so this year she also became a scholarship recipient of the Municipality of Bar", the University told CIN-CG.

Vasfije is also active in extracurricular activities and within the NGO "Young Roma."

At the Faculty of Management in Herceg Novi, two students from this population are enrolled in the first year of basic academic studies - Marija Ivanova and Alija Žabelj- and one student in the second year - Mehmet Berisha.

"The faculty provided the students mentioned above with a 10 percent tuition discount, as well as the possibility of deferred payment in installments depending on the student's financial capabilities," the University stated.

Coordinator for study programs of the Faculty of State and European Studies Igor Striković said the faculty awards scholarships to students who belong to vulnerable social groups.

The scholarship covers all tuition fees for one study year, textbooks for every subject, applications for exams, issuance of certificates and other documents, and all rights granted to students following the Law on Higher Education.

In addition, Striković pointed out that cooperation and help between students is an additional satisfaction for educational progress and an incentive to achieve the best possible results.

The scholarship holder of this faculty Violeta Hajrizaj is the interlocutor of CIN-CG from the beginning of the article. The fact that she failed to enroll in journalism studies did not prevent Hajrizaj from pursuing a career in journalism on the first Roma portal in Montenegro, RomaNet.

Citizens support affirmative action for RE

The results of the Balkan Barometer regional survey showed that the citizens of Montenegro are increasingly supporting affirmative action for members of the RE community to enroll in universities.

Ahmetović hopes that the Law on Higher Education will be changed soon.

"I am sincerely sorry I couldn't enroll in the Faculty of Political Science, but I hope affirmative action will be in force next year. I believe banning affirmative action will demotivate the youth of RE communities because, despite their desire, they remain unequal members of society, second-class citizens", Ahmetović says.

Hajrizaj hopes so as well.

"There are few of us, but the number grows by at least one or two every year. We should be given an opportunity and a chance".

Registered at the Employment Agency with an academic degree

In the Strategy for the Social Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians 2021-2025, prepared by the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, one of the goals is to increase the number of RE members who enroll in higher education institutions on an annual basis.

The goal is to increase from last year's four to eight next year and to reach 15 people a year in 2025.

The document also indicates a negative correlation between the level of education and getting married before the age 18 among women. Namely, this share includes 28% of women in primary school or a lower education level and decreases to 1% among those with higher education.

"It is necessary to undertake certain activities and use the principle of affirmative action so that educated persons from the Roma and Egyptian communities who are registered at the Employment Agency do not have to wait long for employment," is one of the recommendations from the final report on the implementation of the Strategy for Social Inclusion of the RE in Montenegro 2016-2020.

In 2022, only one person with acquired higher education (bachelor's degree in pedagogy) was on the register of unemployed persons. That person declared a member of the RE population and was registered at the bureau of labor in Niksic.

The Employment Agency said that they are implementing active employment policy measures through programs intended for young unemployed persons, unemployed women, especially vulnerable groups of unemployed persons, as well as unemployed persons who do not have the knowledge, skills, and work experience necessary for an open labor market. The RE population, a sensitive group of unemployed persons, participates in active employment policy programs. This year, 15 people from the population are participating in that program, 10 of whom are women.

"As far as the direct creation of jobs, which is carried out through public work programs, seven members of the Roma population are employed, six members of the RE population are on-the-job training, while one person is included in the acquisition of professional career program and one person in the key skills acquisition program," the Agency stated in reply to CIN-CG.