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

Gentian Qejvanaj

doi:10.1177/21582440211036107

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.

Highlights

The study of minorities in Albania has received little attention from the scholarship, with Roma communities affected the most
Our study aims to investigate whether the 2016–2020 National Action Plan has effectively achieved its goals in terms of education and employment
We choose to look at education and employment rather than all five categories of expenditure, because they well summarized the rate of inclusion of Roma people in the Albanian society, and most data are available

Summary

Introduction

The study of minorities in Albania has received little attention from the scholarship, with Roma communities affected the most. Our study aims to investigate whether the 2016–2020 National Action Plan has effectively achieved its goals in terms of education and employment.

Results

Conclusion