Roma in Serbia Introduction

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Roma in SerbiaIntroduction

• Roma Population in Serbia
• Official statistics (census 2002), Roma
  population - 108,193
• Estimates of Roma population (different sources,
  NGO) at least 250,000
• Compared to total population, Roma are a
  younger population

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Strategies for Roma integration

• A draft National Strategy for the Integration and
  Empowerment of the Roma
• Poverty Reduction Strategy includes Roma as a
  vulnerable group
• Elaboration of Strategies will be easier after
  receiving more precise data from
• Roma booster , follow-up of the Survey on the
  Living Standards of the Population
• Sample size 3000 households, nationally
  representative sample and 500 Roma households
• Results expected October 2003

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Vulnerable Roma

• According to different sources and analysis the
  following categories are the most vulnerable
• Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
• Roma living in Roma settlements
• Roma repatriated from EU countries

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Main problems

• Education (illiterate Roma, 4 times more than
  number of illiterate in the total population,
  census 1991)
• Housing (NGO estimates 2/3 of Roma live in very
  poor housing conditions)
• Health - Official statistics/NGO reports and
  main problems
• Under-five mortality rate (approx 40 per 1000)
  double than in total population
• Children are delivered at home
• Large proportion of Roma children are not
  vaccinated
• Economic activity only 28 of Roma population
  is active (working or looking for job), compared
  to national average of 46

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Main problems (cont.)

• Specific problems with regard to the Roma
  population
• Lack of information (according to some studies,
  this is even a greater problem than
  documentation)
• Programmes for informing the Roma (in cooperation
  with the NGO sector), and other vulnerable
  categories, on their rights and assisting them in
  solving these issues
• Social Innovation Fund
• Lack of documentation (excluding the Roma from
  access to the social system welfare, health,
  schools)

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Reforms in Social Welfare

• Roma form a large part of social/cash assistance
  beneficiaries
• Survey data show that 30 of Roma receive some
  social/cash assistance, meaning that high share
  of social assistance beneficiaries are Roma (over
  50)
• Social/Cash Assistance system since 2001
• Social/cash assistance arrears of 26 months paid
  (both cash assistance for social cases and child
  allowances)
• Assistance is now paid regularly
• Humanitarian assistance
• Roma as majority beneficiaries have benefited
  from these improvements

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Reforms in Social Welfare (cont.)

• Legislative changes
• Amendments to the Law on Social Protection
• Changes in eligibility criteria
• Better coverage of poor families in poorer
  municipalities
• More than 60 Roma live in poorer municipalities
• Mechanisms for better targeting of poor families
• Amendments to the Law will be presented to the
  Parliament in July 2003.

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Social Reforms (non-cash assistance)

• Social Welfare Institutions
• No precise data on the number of Roma children in
  social welfare institutions, but the numbers are
  large
• During the past three years, improvement of the
  situation in the social welfare institutions,
  largely thanks to donations
• Other programmes
• Fostering and adoption is being promoted, with
  specialized programmes for Roma families
• Programmes to stop trafficking of human beings,
  where Roma women and children are often at risk
• New Family Code will be enacted in the Fall
  (including section on Family Violence)

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On-going programmes for Roma in the Social Sector

• The following programmes for the Roma are already
  part of the Social Sector reforms and will be
  continued
• Day Care Centres
• Education and information campaigns
• Assistance to Roma IDPs in obtaining the
  necessary documentation
• Changes in the work of Assessment Committees for
  Enrolment of Children into Primary Schools
• The issue of the enrolment of Roma children into
  school must be foremost dealt with within the
  reform of the education sector

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Social Innovation Fund (SIF)

• Potential areas for addressing Roma problems
• To provide continuous access to information in
  exercising rights
• To advocate for Roma rights, participation and
  inclusion
• To create opportunities for accessing health,
  education and employment

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Roma in the PRSP

• Roma as a cross-cutting issue has been
  incorporated in all relevant sectors of the PRSP,
  and priority programmes have been quantified
• The PRSP Cost Matrix shows the amounts needed to
  implemented programmes in the period 2004-2006
  Euro 237 million
• Amounts have been allocated for Roma programmes
  in
• Social protection
• Education
• Health
• Employment
• Housing

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Conclusion

• Roma integration can be achieved by simultaneous
  measures in different areas
• Employment active measures
• Social Housing
• A separate Strategy is being developed on the
  national level
• Local level initiatives to address this problem
• Education programmes tailored to Roma needs for
  better inclusion into the education system
• Health programmes tailored to Roma needs,
  improving access to health services and
  preventive health care programmes

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Conclusion (cont.)

• In the efforts that the Government of Serbia
  together with the NGO sector and other
  stakeholders is putting into Roma integration and
  empowerment we will need a strong commitment and
  assistance from the international community.