Kosovo: "After the destruction of the Sinti and Roma Germany must now stand up for the protection of the Ashkali refugees.”

On Refugee Day (30.09) the Society for Threatened Peoples reminds us of the persecution and destruction of the Sinti and Roma in Germany and Eastern Europe under the Nazis. In the light of this European tragedy the GfbV appeals to the 16 ministers of the interior of the provinces and to the Federal Minister of the Interior, Otto Schily, who is still in office, to stop immediately the deportation of members of the Ashkali minority in Kosovo, who are the subject of racist persecution. "These people are political refugees, for whose protection Germany must take responsibility” demanded the GfbV General Secretary, Tilman Zülch, on Thursday in Göttingen.

"These deportations are really savage because most of the houses and villages of the Ashkali have been destroyed or are occupied by Albanians” said the human rights worker. Members of these minorities are usually on their return abused, mishandled and chased away. They find no work, have no medical care and must starve because most of the aid organisations have left the country.