Violation of Roma rights by North Macedonia

WRITTEN QUESTION

Submission: To the Commission and the Council

3 June 2003

Subject: Violation of Roma rights by North Macedonia

According to a statement by the organization “Doctors of the World”, there has been a blatant violation of the human rights of approximately 600 Roma (including 270 children, ten pregnant women, and many elderly) who are located at the border between Greece and North Macedonia, near the Meditlijia border crossing. The refugees have been living outdoors without tents or any form of protection from the sun and rain, and without basic sanitation facilities, since last March, when the UNHCR and the Ministry of Labour of North Macedonia placed their camp under prohibition and stopped supplying them with food, water, and electricity. On May 22, the security forces of North Macedonia used force to remove the refugees from the border, while the Roma do not possess travel documents and are entirely dependent on the authorities.

The Committee is asked, within the framework of the EU-North Macedonia Association Agreement, what actions it intends to take to ensure respect for human rights and restore dignified living conditions for the Roma of Meditlijia.