to Kosovo, each minority community is facing similar problems, such as security in certain parts
of Kosovo, discrimination and integration into the society. Most importantly, economic prospects
as a condition for sustainable return are very low, which makes a return very uncertain in most
cases. It is important to say that the vast majority of Kosovo Serbs, RAE, Bosniaks and other
minority communities who fled Kosovo in 1999 and later, especially during the violent events
against Serbs and RAE in March 2004, have not returned yet. According to the UNHCR and
their statistical overview, over the past 10 years, only 10% of more than 200 000 people who fled
Kosovo have returned. The main reason of concern for them is mostly the fact that their property
remains occupied, a lack of employment opportunities, as well as the lack of freedom of
movement in some areas of Kosovo. After the armed conflict in 1999, most of the minority
population remains in rural and semi-rural areas. The returnees also return to those areas and
engage in basic agricultural activities if their land is not illegally occupied by members of the
Albanian community. It should be emphasized here that a great number of commercial private
property and agricultural land that belongs to members of minority groups is still illegally
occupied by Kosovo Albanians. Due to technical problems, the Kosovo Property Agency has
only managed to resolve one quarter of the submitted request for repossession of property by its
owners, statistically this means that of the over 40 000 cases of property claims, submitted by
members of minority communities, only 10 000 claims have been resolved.
Those members of minority groups who found jobs are mostly employed in the public sector,
such as in local medical stations, local schools financed by the Republic of Serbia, then the
Kosovo Police Service, local and international NGOs, local small businesses, or they find
employment through income generating projects supported by the international community.
Members of minority communities who have worked in public enterprises before 1999 have not
yet managed to return to their previous jobs.
According to the UNDP, high unemployment and poverty remain two of the most critical
problems facing Kosovo today. Unemployment affects up to 45% of the overall population, and
between 70% and 80% of the people in minority communities. Within the RAE community,
unemployment reaches 95% of their population. Poor infrastructure, and political and legal
uncertainty have resulted in limited foreign investments Kosovo, making the economy dependent
on the service sector and international financial aid. Bearing in mind that Kosovo’s economic
growth still remains at the lowest level in the western Balkans, this situation also has an impact
on the development of the private sector as well. The increasing unemployment in the majority
population leads to a decreasing number of work places for minority communities.
In predominantly Serbian inhabited areas, so-called “parallel structures” continue to play a great
role and have a substantial impact on the economic situation, since they provide most of the
work places and economic start-up aid for small businesses through the Ministry of Kosovo and
Metohija of the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Serbia is also providing work places and
salaries for those who work in the local primary and secondary schools and at the University in
Mitrovica north, health care centers, and different public institutions functioning in these areas in
Kosovo, as well as for employees in“parallel municipal structures”. With regard to this issue, I
have to be honest and say that in some regions, such as in western Kosovo, and where the