Toxic neighbors: How a Chinese mining giant endangers Romani lives in Serbia, 21 November 2025

...[T]he city of Bor, home to one of the largest reserves of copper in the world and one of the most egregious examples of environmental racism towards a Romani community anywhere in Europe.

In Bor, a community of more than 300 Romani people find themselves unwillingly at the centre of a story of corruption, unscrupulous government contracts, and environmental degradation in a country with a regime on the brink of potential collapse...[T]he Romani people living on the edge of the mine who are left to suffer the indignations of segregation and pollution...

Just meters away from the mine workings on Herderova Street is a Romani community living in the former workers’ settlement named Zmajevo...

As some of the closest local inhabitants to the mine, the community faces serious environmental and health issues arising from the mine’s operations. The housing units are located immediately next to the mining zone of the Jama copper mining complex, separated only by a fence positioned meters from the residential buildings. The air quality is severely compromised due to continuous backfilling activities at the old, open pit mine nearby. Large amounts of tailings (the waste dust from mining) are released into the air and settle inside homes, making breathing difficult and maintaining hygiene challenging. These environmental conditions pose a significant health risk to the community, particularly to children and the elderly.

In addition to air pollution, waste water runoff from the mining process is directed into a small basin uphill from the Romani community. Frequently, waters flood down the hill and between the buildings, creating rivers of muddy slurry as the drainage and sewer networks in the community are no longer functional.

At the same time, the very ground beneath their homes is being eroded by continuous explosive detonations which feel like an earthquake on the surface, three times a day, every day...

This pattern of blasting has gone on for several years, causing structural damage to the homes over time, with visible cracks on the walls of the buildings. The cumulative psychological effect on the children who have grown up there is less visible, but likely goes much deeper...

When Zijin Mining bought Bor Copper Mine, they also bought the land around it. This resulted in the land on which the Romani community live in Herderova Street being transferred to the private ownership of the company. The buildings on Herderova Street had already been removed from the housing registry and erased from urban planning documents in the 1990s, after they were deemed structurally unsafe. However, the sale of the land to Zijin meant the buildings and land were no longer publicly owned. The land was literally sold from under the feet of the Romani community...

The result is that since 2018, the residents have been unable to register their residence at Herderova Street, and therefore cannot obtain personal identification documents without issue...

[P]ublic lighting was also removed from the corridors of the buildings and street lights were cut down on the section of road in front of their homes...Because the community is not part of the urban plan, waste management services are inadequate, with just one container serving all 300+ residents...The community also faces unresolved issues regarding electricity supply...

The lack of paved roads further hinders residents’ mobility. During rainy periods, the deteriorated gravel road leading to their homes and the dirt roads within the neighbourhood become impassable, making it difficult for children to attend school and for adults to reach work and essential services...