Montenegro: Romani refugees protest their conditions
On Tuesday 24 July a refugee camp in Montenegro burned to the ground. The camp was occupied by Romani refugees who fled conflict in Kosovo more than a decade ago. The Montenegrin government has now offered the refugees temporary tents. Approximately 100 refugees protested on 25 July in Podgorica against their conditions. The private Serbian radio and television channel B92 reports that the refugees want a permanent solution to their housing crisis. “You thieves, we want apartments,” the crowd chanted in front of the government’s headquarters.
“Our ‘temporary’ accommodation has lasted 13 years. If you can’t solve the problem of our permanent accommodation and offer us something better than shanties and tents, then at least don’t try to deceive us. It would be better to shoot us, this is torture,” one protester said. The Office for Refugee Care said the distribution of the tents had been “essential” and was only a short-term solution, as the government is working on a permanently solution to the Romani refugees’ housing situation.
The EU has previously released EUR 2.5 million to finance permanent housing for people from the refugee camp in the Podgorica suburb of Konik. The European Commission’s most recent report on the issue stated that the camp “represents de facto segregation” and that its living conditions are “inhumane and insecure”.
The refugee camp burned to the ground on the 24th, leaving approximately 800 people without shelter. No one suffered physical injury during the blaze. Police are still investigating the case, but B92 has reported that the fire was probably caused by neglect. The Montenegrin media have reported that someone intentionally set the camp on fire.
There are approximately 12 000 refugees from all of the countries of the former Yugoslavia in Montenegro, a country with a population of 650 000. According to official data, 2 000 of those refugees are Romani, but unofficial estimates say there are as many as 10 000 Romani refugees.
