As part of the Roma Integration Phase III Joint Programme of the European Union and Council of Europe, the Macedonian Young Lawyers Association (MYLA) conducted five information sessions on 5, 12, 13, and 14 May 2025, focusing on the importance of civil documentation. These sessions were held in Skopje (Shuto Orizari and Gazi Baba municipalities), Kičevo, Bitola, and Kumanovo, and aimed to raise awareness among the Roma community regarding the significance of having proper civil documentation.
During the sessions, MYLA’s legal team identified 20 new individuals at risk of statelessness due to the lack of civil documentation. The majority of these individuals are children. Each person received legal consultations from MYLA’s lawyers and was registered in MYLA’s database as a person that requires further support.
To support these cases, MYLA will initiate legal procedures to help them obtain civil documentation, including birth registration, recognition of paternity, regulation of residence, and naturalisation. MYLA will also cover the administrative costs related to these procedures with the support of Roma Integration Phase III.
In parallel with these sessions, a series of promotional events is being organised in seven municipalities across North Macedonia from 5 to 15 May 2025. These events aim to inform the general public—particularly Roma communities—about the process of obtaining civil documentation and the free legal aid services available to them.
The informative events were organised under the framework of the European Union and Council of Europe joint actions Towards a Consolidated and More Efficient Free Legal Aid (FLA) System in North Macedonia and Roma Integration – Phase III, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Justice of North Macedonia and the National Coordination Body for Free Legal Aid.
Through these public meetings, local communities received detailed, accessible information on where and how to access free legal aid, and which institutions and organisations provide it. Participants also had the opportunity to ask questions directly to legal experts and receive guidance on a wide range of legal issues. User-friendly informational materials were distributed, covering key topics such as domestic violence, property rights, anti-discrimination, and social protection.
These activities were organised under the European Union and Council of Europe joint actions “Towards a Consolidated and More Efficient Free Legal Aid (FLA) System in North Macedonia” and “Roma Integration – Phase III”.
