Oct 20, 2009 - The Central Council of Roma in Germany demanded from the German Government to revoke the agreement for repatriation with Kosovo and demand that all those who have stayed in Germany for more than ten years to be awarded permanent residency status.

According to the Council, the Roma are still targeted community in the Balkans.

Last week, German Foreign Ministry confirmed the repatriation for almost 14,000 refugees in Germany, 10,000 of whom are Roma. Berlin and Prishtina are expected to sign the repatriation agreement over the next several weeks.

The German Government says inter-ethnic violence in Kosovo has diminished greatly and that the planned repatriation is in accordance with international asylum standards and conditions. (Source oneworldsee.org)