FREE OF CHARGE REGISTRATION INTO BIRTH REGISTER

10.11.2009.

After successfully completed first phase of regional project `Social inclusion and accession to Roma, Askalia and Egyptians rights in Western Balkans`, European commission and UNCHR continued, with their executive partner Praxis organization, the second phase of this project that will last next 18 months. In cooperation with representatives of Nis City Administration, Palilula Municipality and Crveni Krst Municipality, as well as representatives of Roma communities in Nis UNHCR started the implementation of the project `Social inclusion- support to marginalized communities` at the territory of the City of Nis including two municipalities. With the final realization of this project, that was promoted in Palilula Municipality in NKC hall and in the presence of 40 representatives of Roma associations, all Roma nationality people, refugees and displaced all living in Nis will be registered in birth register. Zorica Stojiljkovic, member of Palilula Council and Alija Sacipovic president of Council for human and minor rights of City of Nis greeted the guests and the participants of this meeting. Aleksandar Randjelovic from Administration for citizens affairs, Javorka Ranjdelovic from Center for Social Work, Jasmina Dimitrijevc, Dom Zdravlja Nis, Ana Sacipovic and Saska Demirovic local coordinator for Roma right, as well as 40 representatives of NGO organizations and associations dealing with the Roma issues were all present at this meeting.

For the implementation of the second phase of this project in Serbia, European commission and UNCHR left aside 352,000,00 Euros. The second phase of the project will take into account two Nis municipalities and ten more cities-municipalities all over Serbia. Those municipalities and cities were not in the first project phase. Praxis will, in the course of this project, provide free of charge legal help to Roma, Askalia and Egyptians for their documents from birth register in administrational and legal procedures of civil registration of people who are not previously registered. These activities have for their final goal reducing of `legally invisible people` in Serbia and will provide the approach to basic human rights. In the first phase of the project mobile teams of PRAXIS visited 76 Roma settlements in 20 municipalities in Serbia. 2500 demands for issuing personal documents in register offices issued over 2300 documents for more than 110 clients. PRAXIS also started 198 procedures for subsequent registration and re-registration into register books for 160 people from who, up to the September of this year, over 100 procedures are completed, 13 stopped. 85 procedures for 78 clients are still in progress. According to estimation of Ministry for work and social matters of Republic of Serbia, over 500,000 Roma people live in Serbia from who 23, 000 moved from Kosovo. Great number of these people are not capable to realize their basic rights for health protection, education and work since they have no personal documents – birth registrations and personal ids.