Serbia has been facing turbulent migration flows in the past two decades. Besides refugees from Croatia and Bosnia and internally displaced persons from Kosovo, Serbia has been experiencing the trend of emigration of its citizens mainly to western European countries and the subsequent return of them under readmission agreements. Among other Serbian regions, Vojvodina region has been receiving the highest number of readmitted people. Most of readmitted people in Vojvodina region belong to Roma community. Since Roma are the most vulnerable social group in Serbia, it is clear that readmitted people in this region are under higher risk considering enjoyment of their human rights.

The project “Equal opportunity perspectives for readmitted people” aims to support readmitted people assisting them in fulfilling their human rights within local communities they live in. Outreach workers will support readmitted persons by providing information on local services, monitoring progress of beneficiaries in obtaining their human rights, escorting beneficiaries to institutions, filling in, preparing and submitting different documents, cooperating with the representatives of local public institutions and representing the interests of readmitted people. At the same time, local regulations and mechanisms regarding readmitted people will be monitored and evaluated. Gathered data will be published in the policy monitoring report which will present the base for introducing concrete and operational measures for integrating equal opportunity perspectives into local policy area in order to improve existing anti-discriminatory frameworks or to develop missing ones. The project will additionally empower informal groups of readmitted people to act as autonomous protagonists in challenging discriminatory practices at the local level.

This two-year project is implemented by the Ecumenical Humanitarian Organization (Novi Sad, Serbia) and funded by the European Union.

Further information: Damir Krkobabic, project coordinator (damir@ehons.org)