Preševo Mayor Ardita Sinani has accused Serbian authorities of discriminating against ethnic Albanians after no Albanian candidates from Preševo or Bujanovac were selected in the latest recruitment process for the country’s Fire and Rescue Service.
According to Sinani, Serbia’s Ministry of Interior recently announced the hiring of 400 new firefighters, but none of the successful candidates from the municipalities of Preševo and Bujanovac were ethnic Albanians.
“Two firefighters were recruited from the Municipality of Preševo and three from the Municipality of Bujanovac, but none of them are Albanians. This is yet another recruitment process conducted by Serbia’s Ministry of Interior in which Albanian candidates have been completely disregarded,” Sinani said in a public statement.
She argued that the outcome constitutes a violation of minority rights and fundamental human rights.
“This is not only a violation of minority rights but, above all, a violation of human rights, especially considering that it follows a series of recruitment processes for police officers where Albanian candidates have also been excluded. Moreover, employment and the integration of Albanians into state institutions remain a neglected issue across all public institutions in Serbia,” she stated.
Sinani warned that the situation is particularly alarming because it affects two municipalities with predominantly Albanian populations, raising renewed concerns over the representation of ethnic Albanians in Serbia’s public institutions.
Her remarks add to longstanding complaints from Albanian representatives in southern Serbia, who have repeatedly alleged discrimination in public sector employment and called for greater inclusion in state institutions.
