12,000 Roma to be deported to Kosovo

"At home in Germany", headlines Der Freitag, with a photo of one of the 12,000 Roma and Ashkali that Berlin intends to deport to Kosovo in the coming years. The Berlin weekly concludes that the deal, which "Kosovo accepted under pressure" last April, constitutes "a catastrophe for the families", who for the most part arrived in Germany in the early 90's. The paper declares that it is a "disgrace for Germany" to pursue an agreement that qualifies Kosovo, a country shaken by ethnic tensions and incapable of protecting those who return, as "safe". The majority of the nearly 6,000 children and adolescents affected have grown up in Germany, speak neither Serbian nor Albanian and will probably be unable to continue their studies.