The city of Bijeljina is known as a local community that addresses the issues of national minorities, primarily Roma, who are the largest minority group in the city. Among numerous support programs for minority groups, the collaboration with the Swiss Caritas stands out, which, in cooperation with the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, has already built 18 apartments. The fourth phase is currently underway, where the City and Caritas are funding the construction of three more apartments without the support of the Ministry, as Bijeljina did not receive funds to continue the project last year. The site of these works in Bijeljina’s Novo Naselje, also known as Fincov Salaš, was visited today by Mayor Ljubiša Petrović and his associates.
 
“Here, we rely on foreign partners and their financial resources, as we no longer have the support of the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees, even though we have been a long-standing, stable partner and have fulfilled all our obligations outlined in the contracts or agreements. The deadline for completing these works is the end of the calendar year, and the amount allocated from the city’s budget for this purpose is around 100,000 BAM, which is approximately matched by the Swiss Caritas. The City will also provide building permits, approvals, and infrastructure connections. Three families will be housed in these apartments – one apartment is larger and can accommodate a family of up to nine members, while the other two apartments are somewhat smaller and intended for smaller families,” stated Mayor Petrović.
 
The head of the City’s Department for Social Affairs, Ljubiša Stanišić, noted on this occasion that housing socially vulnerable minority groups is one of the five pillars of collaboration with Caritas.
 
“Besides housing, another pillar is employment, and the City successfully implemented a process through which 18 people from marginalized categories were employed, which is part of the responsible policy we are pursuing. Next year, we plan to build four more apartments in this neighbourhood, completing the complex of 25 apartments, as originally planned,” concluded Stanišić.