In mid-October this year, during the Berlin Process Summit, agreements were reached to boost student mobility between the six Western Balkan countries.
A new step forward, but one that does not suit the Albanians of southern Serbia, who continue to face the same problems... despite previous regional agreements in this area.
In 2022, they had high hopes for the text providing for the recognition of diplomas. But in practice, nothing has changed. For those who have studied at universities in Kosovo, this is often an insurmountable obstacle when it comes to working in their home country. "I have lost all hope that my diploma from the university in Pristina will be officially recognised in Serbia and that I will find a job," said a 30-year-old woman from the Presevo valley, where Serbia's Albanian minority lives in compact numbers, in despair. I have decided: I will stay with my brother in Switzerland and take care of his children until I find a job, she added.
This young woman points the finger at politicians in Serbia, Kosovo and the European Union - "all are equally responsible". She wishes to remain anonymous "so as not to cause further problems for herself and her family".
Belgrade explained that the words "Republic of Kosovo" effectively block the recognition of diplomas. It is impossible to know how many young Serbian Albanians have not been able to exercise their rights: no institution gives figures, according to a Radio Free Europe report.
The battle has been fought since 2008, when Kosovo declared independence. Since then, associations, political parties and the National Council of the Albanian minority in Serbia have been working hard to try to unblock the situation, but so far without success. As a result, most jobs in businesses and public services remain unavailable to them.
Following the demonstration organised last August, the Centre for Research and Monitoring (CZIM) conducted a survey among young Albanians in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja about their personal perceptions of the discrimination they face. The most frequently mentioned was the non-recognition of diplomas obtained in higher education institutions in Kosovo.
"If identity documents and license plates with the words 'Republic of Kosovo' no longer bother Serbian authorities, why should Kosovo diplomas bother them?" asked Kuitim Sadriu, director of the Presevo-based NGO. "These are diplomas for which Serbian citizens have worked hard for three, four or more years and thanks to which they have been able to find work in their hometown," he said. "We have a glaring need for doctors, engineers, economists and lawyers here. The state should be fighting for every one of them instead of driving them out of the country with its stupid measures. Without a degree, there is no job and without a job, there is no decent living," added Kujtim Sadriu, pointing out that "these people are forced to buy a ticket abroad."
"We are not asking for handouts: we are asking the state authorities to respect the Constitution, the laws and the international obligations that guarantee us equality in all aspects of life," he continued. "Our young people go to study in Kosovo in large numbers because it is closer and much cheaper for them than going to study in Albania or North Macedonia," noted Nevzad Lutfiu, president of the National Council of Albanians. With this qualification they have no problems finding a job in Germany, but they cannot work in Serbia! Belgrade authorities insist that the non-recognition of Kosovo qualifications is not discrimination against the Albanian minority, claiming that those acquired in Albania and North Macedonia are recognised.
In 2011, the Council of Europe adopted a resolution on the recognition of the Kosovo Albanian citizenship. The Faculty of Economics in Subotica opened a branch in Bujanovac in 2011, precisely to enable students to study in their hometown, but the number of young Albanians enrolled continues to decline. According to Nenad Mitrovic, who heads the Coordination Office of the Republic of Serbia in the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, Albanian parties are using this issue for electoral purposes.
"This is not good, as it could create tensions again," he stressed, adding that a solution must be found. "Besides the non-recognition of diplomas, the biggest problem for the successful integration of Albanians is the language barrier," Nenad Mitrovic argued.
Even young people whose diplomas have been validated rarely participate in competitions for civil servants due to insufficient or no knowledge of the Serbian language. According to him, nothing is black and white. He goes on to cite positive examples from southern Serbia that are less well-known to the general public. | BGNES
