Displacement and resettlement of vulnerable groups - a sensitive and complex topic

In order to open a discussion on the rather complex topic of displacement and resettlement of vulnerable groups, focusing on the responsibility and role of local authorities in this process, the project organized a working group meeting in late October consisting of representatives of beneficiary institutions - Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, The Delegation of the EU to the Republic of Serbia, but also representatives of other organizations and projects dealing with Roma issues.

As an introduction to the meeting, the legal framework governing the resettlement of vulnerable groups was presented, while in the continuation of the meeting the steps and previous experiences of the project in preparing urban-technical documentation in the field of housing and communal infrastructure and organizing consultations with citizens were presented. During the meeting, the planned training program for project preparation in accordance with PRAG procedures was presented.

The legal framework that defines the resettlement procedure is quite complex and is regulated by the Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma in the Republic of Serbia for the period from 2016 to 2025, then there are 11 laws and a large number of bylaws and relevant local acts. In order for the resettlement process to run smoothly, local governments should take into account the time needed to adopt various documents and decisions made at the local level, but also the time needed to organize consultation processes and provide support when the resettlement process is completed. From all this, it is clear that the relocation process is a challenge for local governments and that it is a process that requires commitment, time and good planning.

The participants of the meeting agreed that horizontal coordination and cooperation of various local actors is one of the preconditions for the successful implementation of social housing projects. In order for social housing projects and resettlement procedures of vulnerable groups to be successful, timely involvement of decision makers, local urban planners, representatives of the Department of Social Affairs and Finance, as well as representatives of relevant institutions and organizations is essential, from early planning to implementation (construction) all the way to providing support after relocation.

During the meeting, the importance of good design and selection of typology of housing units for which technical documentation is prepared was emphasized, and that in addition to relying on standardized criteria, inherited housing habits should be managed, and that primary sources of income of those living in housing units should be taken into account. , but also that it is necessary to take care of access to various services and cultural and sports facilities. If support is added to these criteria when adapting to the new environment after the resettlement is completed, only then can it be considered that the resettlement process will be successfully completed and will lead to the full involvement of Roma community members in the whole process.

Finally, another recommendation of the meeting was to organize a consultation process with all stakeholders who can be legally and formally affected by the resettlement process of vulnerable groups, and finally, it was pointed out that local governments should develop an action plan for participatory resettlement.