§ Lord Juddasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is their assessment of displaced and refugee Roma people in the Balkans, including Montenegro; and what specific action they are taking to relieve their plight. [HL4531]
§ Baroness AmosInformation on the numbers of displaced and refugee Roma people in the Balkans is not comprehensive. The situation varies from country to country. According to the Yugoslav Red Cross, there were 11,580 registered Roma refugees on 2 November in Podgorica and Montenegro.
Displaced and refugee Roma groups benefit from humanitarian assistance provided by the UN agencies, to which the UK contributes. During the influx of Kosovar refugees to Albania and Macedonia, we encouraged United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide specific attention to Roma refugees. We are supporting various projects in Kosovo to assist minorities. We are also developing a programme to protect minority groups in the Balkans, in partnership with the Minority Rights Group.