Balkans Regional Refugee Coordinator Report of Weekly

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BELGRADE 000028

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR PRM/ECA (COHEN)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PREL PGOV SR
SUBJECT: Balkans Regional Refugee Coordinator Report of Weekly
Activities: December 14-30, 2009


1. (SBU)December 14-30 Report on Weekly Activities

-- Macedonia Government to Take over Refugee Assistance in 2010

-- UNHCR Macedonia's Exit Strategy

-- More Returns to Kosovo from Macedonia Possible

-- Macedonia's New Amended Asylum Law; Operations Show Improvement

-- Kosovo Returns - Home at Last, But Housing Problems Abound

-- Returns and Reintegration in Kosovo Projects - Phase Two and
Maybe Phase Three

-- Serb Returns to Some Areas of Kosovo Still in Limbo

-- Missing Persons in Kosovo - No Information from GOK

-- Comings and Goings




2. (SBU) Macedonia Government to Take over Refugee Assistance in
2010: RefCoord and RefAsst traveled to Macedonia Dec 13-14 to see
current situation of refugees from Kosovo and monitor PRM
activities with UNHCR and Danish Refugee Council. UNHCR statistics
show approximately 1,650 displaced persons from Kosovo, almost all
Roma, with a small number of Ashkali and Egyptian. Although only
25 have official refugee status --the rest fall into various
protection categories - everyone refers to them as refugees. All
live in private accommodations; roughly 80% reside in Shuto
Orizari, the only Roma-majority municipality in Macedonia. UNHCR
provides the same level of assistance to all -monthly allowances to
cover living expenses. This will change in 2010. Last month the
Government of Macedonia (GOM) approved a National Action Plan with
a budget of 1 million Euros for 2010 to go with its Integration
Strategy for Refugees and Foreigners. Starting next year the
Ministry for Labor and Social Policy (MLSP) will assume
responsibility assistance to refugees and those who have legal
status (roughly 2/3 of the 1,650 total--450 Roma from Kosovo--were
refused asylum status by GOM; their cases are under appeal). UNHCR
is coordinating the transition and expects that the MLSP should
take over fully as of March 1, 2010. UNHCR will continue assisting
those without legal status.




3. (SBU) UNHCR Macedonia's Exit Strategy: In parallel with this
plan, UNHCR Macedonia has an exit strategy that aims at finding
durable solutions for the remaining refugee/displaced caseload by

2011. UNHCR Representative Carlos Maldonado believes integration
will be the solution for most. After ten years in Macedonia, many
have married locals and have had children; their children are in
local schools. The biggest challenges are lack of permanent
housing and means of income. With funding from UNHCR, MLSP opened
an Integration Center in Shuto Orizari in October. The center helps
families develop integration plans to include income generating
grants, vocational training, and legal aid. In addition, the
center provides after school tutoring for children to help combat
the problem of Roma children dropping out of school once they
finish primary school. Refcoord saw the school materials Embassy
Skopje had purchased last year with its PRM Julia Taft grant at the
center and chatted with several 6th graders who seemed very
motivated to stay in school. Some spoke English at a respectable
level. Refcoord and Ref assist also met with several beneficiaries
who will receive UNHCR income grants in the next few months.




4. (U) More Returns to Kosovo from Macedonia Possible: UNHCR
anticipates an increase in interest to return to Kosovo now that
both countries have established diplomatic relations. Maldonado
expressed concerned that the slow pace of local Kosovo government
cooperation and housing reconstruction will continue to hamper
efforts. 303 families applied for return to Kosovo; only 15 will
have returned by the end of the year. Refcoord and RefAsst met
several Roma families who had recently returned from a second
Danish Refugee Council organized "Go and See" visit to Gnjilane and
Obilic municipalities. These families have been waiting for two
years for new houses. As they did not own the land where the ruins
of their former houses lie, they must wait for the municipalities
to donate land and then new houses will be built through one of the
Kosovo Government's housing reconstruction program. Two days after

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our meeting DRC received word that Gnjilane municipality had
(finally) identified land for some of the families. DRC hope their
houses will be ready by spring.




5. (U) Macedonia's New Amended Asylum Law; Operations Show
Improvement: On Dec. 15, Macedonia amended its Law on Asylum and
Temporary Protection which reportedly now brings Macedonia in
alignment with EU standards. RefCoord and RefAsst met the new
Ministry of Interior's Section of Asylum Chief who advised that
their reception center of foreigners/illegal has capacity to
accommodate 150 persons. There were 35-36 at the time, but the
number changes on a daily basis. The majority are coming from
Afghanistan, although there has been an increase of asylum seekers
from India, Pakistan, and Nigeria. Most come through Greece, stay
in the center for a short period of time and then disappear, likely
continuing to Northern Europe. Maldonado says that with the change
in Asylum Section heads, UNHCR has had much better cooperation.
They see more progress in documenting persons of concerns, and
adjudication of pending asylum cases. UNHCR is working with MOI on
training Asylum staff on identification procedures of new asylum
cases.




6. (SBU) Kosovo Returns - Home at Last, But Housing Problems
Abound: In Stimjle, Kosovo Refcoord and Refasst met up with three
Roma families that DRC brought from Macedonia, through PRM funding.
Despite the cold and rainy day, the families seemed happy to be
back in their home village. Unfortunately, problems with the new
houses built by UNDP cast a pall on their moods-they could not open
the front door to one house, the floor in a bathroom was badly
laid, and kitchen plumbing leaked. Although UNHCR and DRC reps, as
well as the municipalities return officer were present, no one from
UNDP or its housing contractor was there to address the problems.
With rain turning to snow, and their belongings arriving imminently
via truck from the border, one family was locked out of their
house. Despite repeated phone calls from DRC, there was no sign of
UNDP, who is the main implementer of two of the GOK's returnee
housing projects. RefCoord mentioned this incident to the Minister
for Communities and Return Sasa Rasic, who was chagrined but not at
all surprised. He promised to bring this to UNDP's attention.
UNDP in Kosovo has been roundly criticized for many delays and
substandard work.




7. (U) Returns and Reintegration in Kosovo Projects - Phase Two
and Maybe Phase Three: DRC started the second phase of Returns and
Reintegration in Kosovo (RRK2) on August 1, funded by EU and
Ministry of Communities and Return (MRC) funds. RRK2 covers four
municipalities: Klina, Obilic, Urosevac and Orahovac. RRK1 should
be finished by June 2010 with houses for 160 families in the Pec,
Kosovo Polje, Istok municipalities by June 2010. MCR hopes to
secure funding next year in 14 additional municipalities, for which
there is also interest for return. MCR's goal is that eventually
22 out of 34 municipalities will be covered by return and
reconstruction programs in 2010/2011. Minister Rasic mentioned
that in addition to these projects, MCR has started construction on
40 more flats in Laplje Selo for both returnees from abroad and
those displaced within Kosovo. In addition, the Prime Minister's
Office of the Community Affairs is also planning to construct two
buildings in Strpce.




8. (SBU)Serb Returns to Some Areas of Kosovo Still in Limbo:
Return of Serbs displaced from Kosovo remains difficult in some
areas, such as in Djakovica, which saw some of the worst
inter-ethnic conflicts in the late 1990s. UNHCR Kosovo reps
advised that discussions about "Go and See" visits (GSV) for Serbs
are on-going with the mayor of Djakovica.. One of point of
contention is the number of participants. The Serbian Government
wants to see at least 80 participants; DRC and UNHCR want to keep
the numbers to 15-20. UNHCR and DRC are hoping to organize the
first Serb GSV to Djakovica shortly after the New Year.




9. (SBU) Missing Persons in Kosovo - No Information from GOK:
Refcoord recently met with the International Committee of the Red
Cross (ICRC) reps in Belgrade and Pristina about the status of
missing person cases in connection with 1998-2000 conflict in

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Kosovo. Both stated the same fact: the Serbian Government has been
much more cooperative than the Kosovo Government in providing
information that may help close some of the 1,875 unsolved cases of
people who disappeared during the conflicts. Of the 50 cases
closed this year, none could be attributed to any new information
provided by the GOK. The two reps had differing opinions on what
could help improve the information flow. ICRC plans to publish a
large glossy book with photos and stories about 15 unsolved cases
in Kosovo as well as Bosnia and Croatia. ICRC will launch the book
next year and organize an exhibit that will travel throughout
Europe. Belgrade's rep sees this as an opportunity for the
international community to put pressure on these governments to
cooperate. The rep in Pristina does not believe this public
awareness campaign will have any effect on the GOK, which maintains
it has no written records of where people were killed and buried,
like the Serb police and military had.




10. (U) Comings and Goings

-- Dec. 31-Jan. 8 Refcoord on leave

-- Jan. 19-21: Refcoord and Refasst travel to Croatia

-- Jan. 25-29: Refcoord at PRM workshop in Geneva
BRUSH