Rights displaced

"Various countries in Western Europe are deporting Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian minorities to Kosovo, despite calls from the Council of Europe and UN to halt the practice. Around 50,000 Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians have been deported to Kosovo since 1999, and numbers look set to rise, with as many of 12,000 facing deportation from Germany alone. Rights Displaced : Forced Returns of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians from Western Europe to Kosovo documents the situation for those who are sent back to Kosovo. Ignored by donors and the Kosovo authorities, Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians who are forced back receive little or no assistance. They face numerous obstacles to their basic human rights, including lack of access to personal documents; statelessness; problems repossessing their property or obtaining housing; difficulties accessing health, employment and social welfare; and separation from family members. Children are particularly affected, with few able to stay in school. The report contains concrete recommendations to Western governments, donors and the Kosovo authorities, including an immediate moratorium on forced returns until conditions improve, and assistance to those who have been returned, coupled with progress on implementing the Kosovo government's strategy for integrating and assisting Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians, its most vulnerable minorities"--Page 4 of cover.