A round table was organized in Gjakova on the topic of challenges and problems of the city’s communities
Pristina, November 23, 2022 – Deputy Ombudsman, Mr. Niman Hajdari met today with representatives of civil society, the center for free legal protection, representatives from the shelter for victims of domestic violence, and those of the media, in Gjakova to discuss the challenges and problems that the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities live with in this municipality.
In his introductory speech, Mr. Nimani said that human rights have now become everyone’s business in society, so that we can change it for the better. He added that the Ombudsperson’s Institution (OI) is always open for cooperation with all the citizens of the country in order to improve the state of human rights.
The participants presented some of the challenges and problems faced by the minority communities of the city of Gjakova.
The representatives of the shelter emphasized that from January 1, 2022 until today, they have sheltered 156 cases of victims of violence, while 62 cases involve mothers and their children from the communities. They emphasized that the increase in cases of domestic violence remains worrying, and there are frequent recidivists cases asking for shelter.
At the meeting, the issue of proper regulation of the presentation of the ethnicity of newborn children in the registration form at the city hospital was also emphasized. It was also emphasized that the social situation has worsened, having increased cases and problems, while the social services provided are insufficient.
A brief description of the mandate and powers of the Ombudsperson was given by Mr. Mark Kaqinari, senior legal advisor in the Gjakova office. He together with Mr. Besart Elshani, legal advisor at IAP, answered some of the issues raised, on which IAP has worked and issued reports with recommendations for the responsible authorities.
These data were presented at the “Equality for All” table, a campaign that the Ombudsperson Institution organized throughout the year. This campaign was funded by the project “EU Support for the Ombudsperson’s Institution (OI) in Kosovo.”