Menu
work

Blindspot: Kosovo Roma and the Decade

In 1999, more than 100,000 Roma were forced to leave Kosovo and seek refuge in other Balkan countries or in Western Europe. Their displacement was an underreported human tragedy.

By joining the Decade of Roma Inclusion, the governments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia assumed the obligation to work toward improving the situation of their Roma communities. Although many Roma from Kosovo live in these countries, their needs are not reflected in programs conducted under the Decade.

Leaving these people to solve their own problems neglects the moral responsibility of the societies in which they arrived and the one which they fled. Eleven years after their expulsion, writes Roma Initiatives fellow Mensur Haliti, the Roma from Kosovo have little hope that they can escape their miserable living conditions, and integrating into new communities seems nearly as impossible as returning home.

This report was originally published on opensocietyfoundations.org

Author(s)

Roma Foundation for Europe

Share this article
Send

The latest

Read about our work and the issues we are addressing.
Press

Families Defending Ukraine from the Home Front Risk Being Left Behind by Reconstruction Efforts

25 June 2026
As donors gather in Gdańsk for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, Roma families who stayed in their communities under fire are struggling to access compensation for war damage.
Photo: Akos Stiller
Voices

Too Foreign for Home, Too Foreign for Abroad

23 June 2026
What does it mean to build a life between places? A personal reckoning with migration, identity and the politics of belonging.
Press

As EU Sounds Alarm on Workforce Shortages, Roma Offer the Answer

3 June 2026
The European Commission's recommendations put workforce development at the heart of economic governance. Six million Roma—young, motivated and largely outside the formal economy—are exactly the untapped strength Europe says it needs.

Browse by category

Campaigns

We are on the ground with our network to bring Roma power where it matters.
Campaigns

Events

Information about events from the Roma Foundation for Europe and its network members.
Events

Facts

Briefings, explainers and analyses that explain and highlight complex issues.
Facts

Press

Media coverage of our work, press releases and information for journalists.
Press

Voices

Perspectives, experiences and narratives from the community.
Voices
Offices
BrusselsBerlinBucharestBelgradeSkopje
Sign up for news

Sign up here so you don’t miss out on campaign updates, upcoming events and other news from the Roma Foundation for Europe and our network.

Sign up for our newsletter