Every afternoon in Laplje Selo, Gordana Gjoric, a 63-year-old retired businesswoman, opens her door to neighbors who share the same quiet street. She took refuge in 1999 after the Kosovo conflict, a time when many families were displaced. Gordana now offers bubble tea and coffee, and the stories she hears from those who fled Pristina during the brutal ethnic cleansing campaign led by Serb and Albanian factions linger in the air. She recalls how homes and shops were destroyed, how people were intimidated, and how there was no choice but to leave. The memory remains sharp, and the legal records in Kosovo courts hold these experiences as a stark reminder of the past.
Gordana’s village lies barely 10 kilometers from Pristina, a proximity that makes her situation especially painful. Across Kosovo, Serbs exist in pockets within Albanian-majority areas, and many find themselves displaced across several districts in the center and south. Gordana questions why some cannot return, noting that there is little safety or hope, and that respect for Kosovo law does not always translate into fair treatment for her community. Businesses are boycotted, doors remain closed, and the younger generation looks for opportunity beyond the country’s borders.
displaced since 1999
International organisations, including the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (Unmik), estimate that around 200,000 people from Kosovo still live elsewhere in the region, largely Serbs. Those who fled during the Kosovo War of 1998–1999 did not return in large numbers; Unmik and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) report that fewer than 30,000 have gone back. Aleksandar Gudric is among the people who left Pristina at the end of the conflict. He now operates from Gračanica, coordinating activities at a cultural center there. He mentions that Serbs are still a visible, living presence in the area, though life often mirrors a tense coexistence.
Photos show Gudric in the cultural center, working alongside a theatre group that migrated from Pristina. The performance space is a rare beacon of cultural exchange in a landscape shaped by divisions. They occasionally stage joint exhibitions with Albanian communities, but such collaborations are not routine and reflect ongoing challenges in cross-community communication. The persistence of heavy barriers between groups shapes daily life and limits shared experiences.
During visits to the site, multiple observers describe a community that remains connected by tradition and faith, including the Orthodox churches and the revered Decani Monastery. The monastery has been under NATO protection since 1999, underscoring the enduring geopolitical fault lines that influence property rights and local allegiances. After land disputes involving the 2016 decision, many Serb families still feel unsettled and affected by the ambiguous status of land ownership in the region.
open conflict
In Mitrovica, a northern Kosovo area dominated by Serbian identity, an Albanian taxi driver navigates streets lined with Serbian flags. He urges quiet and caution, expressing that safety often means staying below the radar. An activist and lawyer, Marko Jaksic, observed that the integration process for Serbs within Kosovo institutions had progressed only slowly and, at times, regressed. He resigned from his post at the Mitrovica court amid concerns about discrimination against Serbs by Pristina authorities. The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina has faced persistent strains, fueling distrust across communities.
Protests spread for weeks after the initial tensions, with Serbia threatening to intervene. International responses, including measures from the European Union and the United States, attempted to calm the situation. Jaksic notes a lack of confidence in Pristina’s willingness to recognize the needs of Serb communities, including the status of Cyrillic documents, which remain a point of contention under Kosovo law. Despite the friction, the desire to see Serb communities preserved and respected persists among many residents.
Analysts offer mixed assessments of the region’s future. Some caution that Belgrade continues to influence salaries and employment in parts of Kosovo, which complicates efforts toward stable governance. Others highlight the potential benefits of cross-border cooperation and the value of inclusive, sustained dialogue. The overall picture remains one of fragile coexistence, with both sides calling for assurances that rights and identities will be acknowledged in a lasting framework.