Albanian National Action Plan for Roma Inclusion 2016–2020: A Study on the Program Achievements at the Halfway Mark

Abstract

Roma segregation in Albania has been causing growing concern since the fall of the communist regime. In this study, we analyze the effectiveness of the Albanian national action plan for Roma inclusion 2016–2020, in 2018, halfway in its implementation period. We gathered data on education and employment from the pre-implementation period (2015) and compared it with the latest available data in 2018. Interviews with local experts and surveys by the Balkan Barometer will provide background information to assess the current state of Roma integration in Albania. Moreover, descriptive statistics from national and international institutions and structured interviews will draw an independent narrative of Roma affairs. In our conclusion, we suggest moving beyond the “us and them” approach with programs run on inertia; our findings highlight that although encouraging achievements have been reached under the 2016–2020 action plan, real inclusion is still far, as statistical achievements do not say much about the quality of the education or job training provided under the 2016–2020 action plan.

The regime of inequality affecting the Roma community in Albania

“…Study quotas for Roma students were introduced in universities as well. 14 In this context, such policies could fit well within the parameters of a compensatory regime, 15 however the research and data available on the subject fail to demonstrate a shift in the uneven reality to which Roma people, particularly children, are subjected. What the data and studies do show, is that these affirmative action efforts have not changed the situation drastically for the better.…”