Albanians in the poor, frightened north are leaving every day

The stone route, leading to the village of Ceraje of the Leposaviqi municipality, at a length of 3km, divided the main magistrate to the border with Serbia. Once you enter this village, you get the impression that nothing works.

At first, we meet Ramadan Canthman, who lives alone with his wife. He says residents have been displaced from the village of Ceraja for lack of basic conditions and prospects. During winter, Niteman says they're trapped because nobody cares about them.

There are 20 houses in the three villages. They're all moving in, they don't have living conditions, with a humanitarian transport they're making fun of people. Nearly two years have not been removed, now they've quit, they've chosen a worst company there is. I'm worried about staying here, I was born here and I want to live, but they're not helping us. We don't even have a very hard road to get through winter. There was a bus in the asphalt down there, and you walked there, but now while the road is closed, you're stuck. The South Mitrovica municipality is not taken away, this North one even takes it off. South North won't allow me to get”, he told Radio Kosovo.

In this area, there is no investment in road infrastructure, which would at least facilitate the movement of these residents. They say lack of investments is deliberate so that residents can be forced out of the area. The situation is similar in several other villages in the area. The village of Bistrica currently numbers about 10 families.

Bejet Hetemi lives with the family of five members. He tells our radio that they face numerous problems.

“Conditions don't know, I don't know if there's any harder in Kosovo, many have walked into different countries, but all of us hope that something is getting better is taking nothing away. My kids are at school, and that's probably not for students or for workers. Monday they come, they stay for rent, or where they can, and on Friday they come home. There's been a lot of deportation. So many years after the war, always with hope”, he said.

Hetemi says they have an office that is founded to solve the problems of Albanians in the area, but, according to him, it doesn't work.

The working officers never come there, are employed and appointed since the time of UNIMK, they don't speak in our name, they don't decide in our name, but quite the opposite of what the population needs and what population thinks. In winter season, we haven't been out in town in months. We've had some snow-cleaning equipment, but the office doesn't work, they're broken, too, as anybody's watching. A few years ago, it was necessary to intervene the Mitrovica municipality to unblock the road, they're telling us you have your municipality, your office, but we, unfortunately, don't have anyone”, he said.

Residents Ramadan Behet Hetemi of Ceraya say their greatest concern is young people who, according to them, do not see any prospect of continuing to live in this area.