Kosovo: Roma leave Kosovo fearing new violence

According to information provided by the Roma and Ashkali Centre in Pristina Roma have started to leave Kosovo fearing an outbreak of new violence. During their field visits to the Serbian enclave of Gracanica nearby Pristina, the NGO found that at least seven families with 38 have already left.

Security concerns are the main reason driving Roma out of Kosovo. According to the NGO Roma are afraid to become targets of violent attacks following a unilateral declaration of independence. They are also concerned that neither the international forces nor the local troops will offer them protection.

The Roma community in Gracanica is one of the largest remaining Roma communities in Kosovo. An estimated number of 4,000 Roma live there, many of the former residents of the destroyed Roma Mahala in Pristina.

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