Hidden Costs: How Readmissions Undermine Roma Inclusion in the Western Balkans [bicc policy brief]

The fight against inequality and the promotion of inclusive societies remain at the core of the German government’s development agenda. Inequality is growing not only in least developed countries, but also in emerging and post-socialist economies, such as the Western Balkans. Since the transition, the lack of public social protection and weak economies have become increasingly linked to marginalisation at the intersections of class, ethnicity and gender. Roma face a particularly high risk of exclusion due to discrimination. A comprehensive report by the World Bank concludes that Roma across the region face “systemic economic and social exclusion and institutional dis crimination” (World Bank Group, 2019, p. viii). There are blind spots regarding the interactions between return, development and inclusion policies. Readmissions disrupt the very processes that development cooperation and inclusion policies seek to strengthen. This policy brief calls for greater awareness of these cross-sectoral links and urges transparency about the downstream implications of return governance.