Director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric said that Pristina does not encourage the return of displaced persons and expressed hope that the entry into the function of Serbian judges and return of the usurped and destroyed property will create conditions for better return.
At the round table discussion following conclusion of the project “Support to the implementation of strategies for IDPs, refugees and returnees – legal help”, Djuric said that it is a project that ended after two and a half years and that it was financed from the EU pre-accession funds. The legal aid was provided in 5,587 cases, out of which 1856 cases are closed while 3,731 is still opened.
According to him, the IDPs received legal assistance primarily in cases for compensation of destroyed or unlawfully usurped property, but also in the cases of unpaid compensation for work in enterprises in Kosovo. “Thanks to the donation of EU the number of processed cases and the number of people who have received the legal aid is huge and we can be satisfied. However, only a small number of IDPs found the legal remedy and justice in front of the Kosovo Courts. The international community must not allow the process of legalization of seized property in Kosovo,” stated Djuric.
Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia Michael Davenport said that the assistance of lawyers who provided support to displaced persons through the project is significant, because these people often need money for the trip to Kosovo and for the engagement of legal representative. He added that the EU is prepared to fund another project of this type in the second half of this year.
