IOM Mission in Kosovo Newsletter, September 2014
IOM Kosovo Projects active in all Kosovo municipalities
In this issue:
- Support to non-majority communities of North Kosovo through EU-Community Stabilization II - Launching of the new IOM Report: “Needs Assessment: Human Trafficking in the Western Balkans” - IDP’s receive new homes, assistance packages and income generation support in Shtërpcë/ Štrpce
Support to non-majority communities of North Kosovo through EU-Community Stabilization II
An EU-funded programme, managed by the European Union Office in Kosovo
The EU-Community Stabilization II continues to target nonmajority communities throughout Kosovo. The programme aims at improving the living conditions of such communities and facilitating their access to socio-economic opportunities. The programme which is funded by the European Union and implemented by IOM Kosovo, contributes to stabilized communities and sustainable livelihoods for community members. Leposavic municipality is located in North Kosovo and is mainly inhabited by the Serbian community. However, an Albanian community of some 300 people live in three villages; Bistrica, Koshtova and Ceraje in a mountainous area of rural Leposavic. Prior to programme support members of these communities faced obstacles in obtaining clean drinking water as a result of broken water pumpers and the limited capacities of the water network system.
Photo 1: Beneficiaries from Bistrica, Koshtova and Ceraje villages and the water pump station
The Community Office of Leposavic municipality applied for assistance from EU-Community Stabilization II Programme. Through the programme, the broken pumps were replaced with two new centrifugal pumps and the electricity system at the water station was renovated. As part of the project, the municipality of Leposavic also committed to the improvement of living conditions of these isolated communities by improving the electricity supply network that had previously damaged the old water pumps. In Zubin Potok municipality, Cabra village is home to some 170 families from the Albanian Community. The village was lacking facilities for sports. In 2013, the municipality constructed a new, multifunctional building for cultural and sport activities however due to a lack of funding; the sports hall was not completed and was not in use. Through the EU-CSPII project of providing proper flooring, the construction of a changing room and the provision of sports equipment, the hall has been completed and now has facilities for multiple sports including; basketball, volleyball and indoor Photo 2: Prior to EU-CSP II support, children and adults of the Cabra village did not have facilities for playing sports. The new facilifootball.
ties provide equipment for indoor football, basketball and volleyball, alongside many other activities that can be organized in the modern gym.
Launching event of IOM Report: “Needs assessment: Human Trafficking in the Western Balkans” IOM regional project report “Needs Assessment Research: The Regional Counter Trafficking Situation in the Western Balkans” was launched in Prishtina on 8th of October. The report is a result of a vast research project which was conducted in the Western Balkans, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo (Under UNSC resolution 1244), The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, in autumn 2013 and spring 2014.
The results of the research were presented at the launching event on Wednesday, 8th of October. At the event, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator of Kosovo, Mr. Sasa Rasic, The Italian Ambassador to Kosovo, H.E. Andreas Ferrarese and the Chief of Mission for IOM Kosovo, Mr. Jorge Baca, shared their common concern over the Trafficking in Persons situation in the Western Balkans.
The Western Balkans countries have a history of being countries of origin, transit and destination for victims of human trafficking. The expansion of EU borders and the visa liberalization regime have created a shift in irregular migration flows: many Western Balkans countries are now experiencing also an influx of irregular migrants arriving from new countries of origin. These new migration flows present security and stability risks for both the Western Balkans countries and the members of the European Union.
Ms. Ivona Zakoska from IOM Mission in Skopje presented the key findings of the report, as well as 15 recommendations that the report is suggesting to be implemented in the Western Balkans. The recommendations are related to the identification of trafficked persons, Support and reintegration services for trafficked persons, Cooperation at the national and international levels, Criminal justice processes, Government commitment and resource allocations and Attitudes that hinder the response to trafficking in persons.
Through this project, IOM has conducted a comprehensive analysis of the counter-trafficking situation in the Western Balkans and assessed the region’s current needs. The Italian Embassy in Sarajevo has financially complemented the IOM Development Funds in order to support such analysis. The project intends to generate the necessary platform to improve the current legislation and programs addressing the issue of human trafficking in the region.
The findings, inter alia, commended the involved states on the existing legislative infrastructure, yet suggesting improvement of the definitions to include all forms of exploitation (begging and domestic). For Kosovo the report recommends certification and licensing system for shelters in order to ensure their already existing network which is already functioning well to support and protect the victims.
Photo 3: Ms. Ivona Zakoska from IOM Skopje, Mr. Sasa Rasic, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Jorge Baca, the Chief of Mission for IOM Kosovo and Mr. Andreas Ferrarese, Ambassador of Italy at the launching event
An EU-funded programme, managed by the European Union Office in Kosovo
Photo 4: Example of food items included in the assistance packages
IDP’s receive new homes, assistance packages and income generation support in Shtërpcë/ Štrpce EU-Return and Reintegration III has since 2011 assisted 210 IDP’s, IIDP’s and refugees to return to home. EU-RRK III is an EU-funded programme, co-funded by Kosovo Ministry for Communities and Return. The programme is targeting displaced people in the area of former Yugoslavia, with aim at assisting them to return home safely and with dignity and to provide means for living in Kosovo. Besides these assistance mechanisms for individuals, the EU-RRK III is also supporting authorities in central and local level to plan and manage return process and contributing to the tolerant, multiethnic society.
and trainings which will improve their chances in labour markets and allow establishing small businesses to support themselves.
The third phase of the programme has been implemented by IOM Kosovo in partnership with Ministry for Communities and Return and IOM local NGOs Developing Together (DT), Agency for Promotion of Employment (APPK) and Center for Peace and Tolerance (CPT). In order to secure efficient implementation and coordination with municipal authorities, the programme has been targeted to five municipalities; Novobërdë/Novo Brdo, Shtërpcë/ Štrpce, Suharekë/ Suva Reka, Partesh/ Parteš and Prizren.
Besides the house, food, furniture and home appliances, the head of household attended a training organized by IOM Kosovo’s partner APPK and after completing it, decided to start her own business. She is producing cakes to be sold at the local market, for which she has received equipment also through the programme.
In Shtërpcë/ Štrpce municipality in the southern part of Kosovo EU-RRK III has (re)constructed 64 houses for returning Serbian beneficiaries. Besides the housing assistance, the programme has delivered food, non-food items, firewood and furniture to the beneficiaries. In order to secure the sustainable lives in Kosovo, the beneficiaries can also apply for income generation packages Photo 5: One of the houses in Shtërpcë/ Štrpce
In Shtërpcë/ Štrpce, one of the beneficiary families is a female headed household which are usually in more vulnerable position due to insufficient working possibilities for women in Kosovo. The family is from Serbian community and was displaced in Kragujevac in 1999. They moved back to Shtërpcë/ Štrpce in 2012, where they applied for assistance from EU-RRK III.