15.12.2023
Essential for every Roma and Egyptian (RE) child in Montenegro is the ability to acquire legal identity. This legal identity will provide use of all rights guaranteed by the state for both children and parents. The RE mediators play a crucial role as intermediaries between parents and institutions. These were the conclusions of an information session organized by Help as part of the project “Reducing Statelessness among Roma and Egyptians in Montenegro,” funded by the Embassy of the Republic of France in Montenegro.
French Ambassador Anne-Marie Maskay highlighted the pivotal role of mediators as a bridge between the Roma-Egyptian community and state institutions, emphasizing their significant contribution to the social inclusion of the RE population. Emphasizing the work and dedication of the mediators and valuing their valuable field information, Ambassador Maskay stated that the mediators are true ambassadors of human rights.
Dijana Anđelić, Director of Help’s office in Montenegro, emphasized the essential issue of acquiring a legal identity, especially for newborns. This is crucial for addressing one of the pressing issues—reducing statelessness among Roma and Egyptians in Montenegro. Anđelić expressed gratitude to the Embassy of France for supporting the project aimed at resolving the issue of legal status, which is a significant problem for a considerable part of the RE community in Montenegro.
The Head of the Directorate for Roma and Egyptians in the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, Sokolj Beganaj, agreed that this is one of the key obstacles to the full inclusion of the RE community. He praised the institutions’ previous efforts in addressing the issue of statelessness. Beganaj point out of importance for a precise interpretation of the Law on Montenegrin Citizenship and announced the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ plans to address this issue by 2025.
Head of the Directorate for the Protection of At-Risk Groups in the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, Budimirka Đukanović, highlight the necessity of involving the Ministry of Internal Affairs and their support in the efforts to reduce statelessness in the RE community, having in mind their capacity as well as jurisdiction and competences for the issue.
The lack of appropriate legal documents, especially Montenegrin citizenship, is one of the key problems emphasized during the discussion, where numerous challenges faced by RE citizens due to unresolved legal status were considered. The process of birth registration, accessing health insurance, as well as rights and benefits for parents, were crucial issues emphasized by Irina Stamatović, Help’s moderator for the information session. She presented a method for solving these problems through practical steps during registration.
Emphasizing the importance of protecting human rights, with special attention to children’s rights, Stamatović noted that registering newborns is a prerequisite for enjoying all other rights, including civil and social rights, as well as accessing healthcare, which is a key aspect of integration into Montenegrin society.
