New funds from the European Commission Liaison Office in Pristina,
Kosovo, will help IOM to support the reintegration of a growing
number of displaced Kosovans returning home.

Numbers of ethnic minority returns to Kosovo has increased in
recent years from 679 in 2008 to 2,275 in 2010, according to UNHCR.
This has largely been attributed to improving security in
Kosovo.

However, although nearly 22,800 internally displaced people from
ethnic minorities have returned to Kosovo since the end of the
conflict in 1999, there are still an estimated 210,000 Kosovans in
Serbia, another 16,000 in Montenegro, nearly 1,800 Kosovan Roma,
Ashkali and Egyptian in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
as well as 18,250 internally displaced people in Kosovo itself.

The grant of four million Euros for the third phase of an IOM
programme supporting the return and reintegration of internally
displaced Kosovans, will continue to aid the government's efforts
in promoting a tolerant, multi-ethnic environment in Kosovo needed
to encourage displaced minority groups, the internally displaced or
Kosovan refugees to return home.

Over the next two and a half years, IOM will provide housing and
reintegration assistance to those families wishing to return to
Kosovo by building or rehabilitating homes; provide livelihood
assistance through professional training, job placements and
mentoring in addition to helping municipal authorities and the
ministry dealing with communities and returns to reform current
return policies and practices in order to more effectively
reintegrate displaced people. IOM will also support the monitoring
of return and reintegration projects for returning Kosovans in
their respective municipalities as well as activities that promote
inter-ethnic reconciliation.

This third phase will focus on five multi-ethnic municipalities:
Štrpce/Shtërpcë, Novobërdë/Novo Brdo,
Prizren, Suharekë/Suva Reka, and Partesh/Parteš.

IOM began its programme to assist displaced Kosovans returning
home in 2003. Since then it has assisted 655 people or 157
families.

For additional information, please contact:

Bekim Ajdini

IOM Kosovo

Tel: +377 45 322 870

E-mail: "mailto:bajdini@iom.int">bajdini@iom.int 

or

Roberto Cancel

Tel: + 377 45 284 563

E-mail: "mailto:rcancel@iom.int">rcancel@iom.int