Serbian Roma families facing forced eviction
Amnesty International today urged the Belgrade authorities to halt plans to destroy a Roma settlement amid fears that an eviction could be imminent.
Amnesty International today urged the Belgrade authorities to halt plans to destroy a Roma settlement amid fears that an eviction could be imminent.
At least 70 families living in an informal settlement in the Vidikovac area of the Serbian capital, many of whom fled there after being forcibly evicted from other sites, could be left homeless again if the demolition goes ahead.
"The authorities have yet to find a long-term solution for Roma who, after seeing their homes repeatedly destroyed, live in constant fear of being evicted at any time without warning,” said Sian Jones, Amnesty International’s expert on Serbia.
Under international law, evictions can only be carried out as a last resort, once all other alternatives have been exhausted.
The Belgrade authorities have not offered the families any alternative accommodation or compensation. They have failed to consult the community, instead issuing them with two eviction notices in April and mid-June, the latter threatening the settlement with eviction from early July.
