Radio Dreyeckland (2014) reports on the impacts on Rroma of the floods in former Yugoslavia. The problem is that Rroma who lived in destroyed informal settlements have no rights to insurance money, as they violated current law practices. Socially disadvantaged Rroma are therefore particularly affected by the floods. Accordingly, many German refugee councils call for a deportation stop of planned expulsions to the Balkans. These deportations are not reasonable due to the current situation. The refugee council of Lower Saxony further states: “Given the devastating floods in the Western Balkans and the thereby once again extremely difficult living conditions of members of minorities in these countries, the refugee councils of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Berlin and Brandenburg demand an official ban on deportation to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia. […] Even without flooding the situation for Roma in the Western Balkans is extremely difficult. After the deportation, many Roma do not know where they should live, what they should live from and how they will pay for needed medicine. Given the current situation, deportations to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia are totally irresponsible. […] In addition, the provisional Roma settlements, particularly in Bosnia and Serbia, were especially affected by the destruction caused by floods and landslides. Some settlements were completely washed away or cut off from supply routes. They also fear that Roma living in informal settlements will not receive compensation for their destroyed homes and tens of thousands of people remain permanently homeless. The desolate situation which prohibits deportations will thus persist in the period after the water has dropped” (Flüchtlingsrat Niedersachen 2014). Tesanovic (2014) points out that the Rroma are not only victims of the flood disaster, but also actively participate in assistance programs. The Rroma offered rescue workers their help, including the breast feeding of infants by Rroma mothers.

• Flüchtlingsrat Niedersachsen (2014) Gemeinsame Presseerklärung der Flüchtlingsräte Brandenburg, Berlin, Schleswig-Holstein und Niedersachsen. In: Flüchtlingsrat Niedersachen online vom 22.5.2014. http://www.nds-fluerat.org/13369/pressemitteilungen/flutkatastrophe-im-balkan-abschiebestopp-jetzt/ 
• Radio Dreyeckland (2014) Informelle Siedlungen weggespült: Folgen der Flutkatastrophe für Roma. In: Radio Dreckeyland online vom 23.5.2014. https://rdl.de/beitrag/informelle-siedlungen-weggesp-lt-folgen-der-flutkatastrophe-f-r-roma
• Tesanovic, Jasmina (2014) Sorrow in the Balkans. In: Boing Boing online vom 26.5.2014. http://boingboing.net/2014/05/26/balkans.html

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