Report and conclusions from the conference “Challenges of Forced Migration in Serbia”
Within the project "European-Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migration", the closing conference Challenges of Forced Migration in Serbia was held in Belgrade Sava Centre on June 9. The conference was attended by over 130 representatives of state institutions, diplomatic corps, nongovernmental and international organisations and media from Serbia and the region.
Welcoming and introductory remarks at the conference were given by: Vladimir Petronijević, Group 484 Executive Director, Adriano Martins, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia, Allan Leas from the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), Borislav Stefanović, Head of the RS team for negotiations with Priština, Dragan Marković, State Secretary at the Ministry of Interior of RS, Laszlo Varga, Chairman of the Committee for European Integration of RS National Assembly, Vladimir Cucić Commissioner for Refugees of RS and Wolfram Maas, German Ambassador to Serbia.
The speakers agreed that the political will was necessary for addressing the remaining unresolved issues related to migration in the former Yugoslavia. The conference once again emphasised that in the Euro integration process of countries in the region of Western Balkans, the European Union will provide assistance to solving practical problems. When it comes to the unresolved political issues the EU is expected to provide services of mediation and effective monitoring of implementation of international obligations.
Read more: Report and conclusions from the conference “Challenges of Forced Migration in Serbia”
“Underage Asylum Seekers in Serbia: on the Verge of Dignity” Report presented
The report “Underage Asylum Seekers in Serbia: on the Verge of Dignity” was presented at the Press Conference held in Media Centre in Belgrade on June 1. The report on the status of underage asylum seekers in Serbia is the first product of the work group for asylum, consisted of Miroslava Jelačić (Group 484), Jovana Zorić (Belgrade Centre for Human Rights), Rastko Brajković (Initiative for Development and Cooperation) and Marko Savković (Belgrade Centre for Security Policy). Furthermore, this report was created as a result of a broader research about the status and realisation of the right to asylum in the Republic of Serbia, as a part of the “European-Serbian Cooperation in the Area of Forced Migrations”, the project conducted by Group 484. The final goal of the project is the preparation of the thematic policy proposal that will represent the basis for advocacy activities of civic organisations, be it afore Serbian institutions, be it afore the bodies of the EU. The project is supported by the EU, managed by the EU Delegation in the Republic of Serbia, and it is implemented by GOPA (GOPA Consultants).
Read more: “Underage Asylum Seekers in Serbia: on the Verge of Dignity” Report presented
Presentation of the policy paper “Challenges of Forced Migration” in Niš, Kraljevo and Novi Sad
Within the project "European-Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migration", and in order to present the draft policy paper "Challenges of Forced Migration in Serbia” three round tables were organised in the period April 27 to 29 in Niš, Kraljevo and Novi Sad. The round table discussions were attended by representatives of nongovernmental organisation who participated in drafting the document, as well as a large number of representatives of ministries and local institutions.
As for the situation in Niš the local action plan development required a special budget line allocated for the needs of refugees and IDPs. At the round table in Nis, on April 27 it was said that the plan included a range of activities such as distribution of building materials and funds to improve the position of vulnerable groups. Social housing has been activated, and in recent years three buildings have been built in Nis. Now, however, their tenants are faced with the debt problems. Unemployment is the biggest problem in the region of Niš and the closure of many companies, impoverishment of state, budget cuts, elderly households are the problems that make the long-term crisis even worse and bigger. The state has shown willingness to deal with the problems, but it is necessary to connect programmes of NGOs and state institutions for a constructive solution to the problem of unemployment. Niš has recently been faced with a new category of vulnerable persons - returnees under readmission agreements.
Public hearing held on challenges of forced migrations in Serbia
A public hearing on Challenges of Forced Migrations in Serbia was held on 18 May at the National Assembly House. The gathering was organised by the European Integrations Committee in cooperation with the non-governmental organisation Group 484 and included representatives of the Ministries of Interior and Labour and Social Policy, non-governmental organisations and civic associations.
Opening the public hearing, European Integrations Committee Chairman Laszlo Varga stressed that the topic of the gathering is wider than the issue currently in public focus i.e. the issue of false asylum seekers which is directly connected to Serbia’s approach to the European Union.
Group 484 Executive Director Vladimir Petronijevic said that the document Challenges of Forced Migrations in Serbia drafted by a group of non-governmental organisations speaks of the status and problems of refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers and returnees according to the readmission agreements. He stressed that the problem of false asylum seekers threatens the visa free regime which makes it necessary to forestall possible consequences in cooperation with the European Union, as well as other partners.
Read more: Public hearing held on challenges of forced migrations in Serbia
“European – Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migration”
Round tables within the project “European – Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migration” will be held on 27th, 
28th, and 29th April in Niš, Novi Sad and Kraljevo. It is planned to present the working versions of the document “Challenges of forced migrations in Serbia – status of refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees and asylum seekers”, to the representatives of state and local self government.
Visits to Brussels - Cooperation between NGOs and the EU in the field of forced migration
Within the project "European-Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migration," a group of NGOs from Serbia visited Brussels in the period February 28 to March 2, where they talked with representatives of European institutions and civil society about the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons, the problem of asylum seekers from Serbia in the EU and the asylum system in Serbia. The interlocutors in Brussels were presented a draft thematic document prepared by a group of nongovernmental organisations. The final version of the document should be released in late March and then, after being translated in April, submitted to European institutions.
Brussels was visited by Danilo Rakić from Group 484, Jovana Zorić from Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Ratko Bubalo from Humanitarian Centre for Integration and Tolerance, Goran Basta from Balkan Centre for Migration and Dejan Živković from Novi Sad Humanitarian Centre.
Read more: Visits to Brussels - Cooperation between NGOs and the EU in the field of forced migration
Communication skills training
On December 16-17, in the Majestic Hotel in Belgrade, training was held within the project European-Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migration, where the participants learned about communication skills and media appearances. The training was designed and conducted by representatives of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), and was intended for members of NGO working groups participating in the development of a thematic document on forced migration in Serbia. For the purpose of the training participants, ECRE had developed a manual on communication skills and possibilities for conducting advocacy campaigns before the EU bodies.
Ana Fontal, in charge of Media and Communication in ECRE, explained the role of the media and how the media in certain areas can sometimes help and sometimes hinder. According to her, in public appearances, it is important to identify the problem, but it is also important to offer a suggestion for a solution to this problem.
Round table in Leskovac
Within the project "European-Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migration", a round table was held on November 24 in Leskovac at the premises of the Educational Centre. This nongovernmental organisation hosted the gathering, and the introductory speech was given by Jovan Islamović, Program Manager of Educational Centre Social and Humanitarian Team. Trustee for Refugees from Vranje Zorica Pesić said that the Pčinja and Jablanica districts used to have much more internally displaced persons and refugees. The decrease in their number is not, unfortunately, the result of their integration or return, but of moving to more developed northern municipalities of Serbia in search for jobs. According to her, the problem of poverty is a big problem in Vranje. Now internally displaced people in private accommodation want to go to collective centres since they cannot pay the rent.
During the discussion, the round table participants from Vranje said that the municipality has five collective centres for refugees and displaced, two of which should be closed by end of the year. Two apartment buildings have been adapted for refugees and displaced persons, and another one is planned to be constructed. The projects of purchasing rural households and distributing building packages are also carried out.
According to a survey of the Trustee for Refugees Office, Vranje has also received 540 returnees from Western Europe who have been refused asylum or have been terminated temporary protection. The round table participants say that Roma families, due to visa liberalisation go to EU countries for three months in order to work there illegally and then seek asylum and thus get a free return ticket. Roma who seek asylum in Western European countries generally refer to poverty as the main reason for leaving the country.
Round table in Kraljevo
The fourth round table within the project "European-Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migration was held on November 25 at the premises of Kraljevo NGO Lingua. The municipality, heavily affected by the recent earthquake, has more than 22 thousand refugees and internally displaced persons. The round table was attended mainly by representatives of their associations, as well as non-governmental and international organisations working with this population.
Lingua Director Radovan Milićević said that the recent earthquake in Kraljevo damaged 15,000 buildings of which 1,500 should be torn down. Milićević said that help was coming slowly and that apart from UNHCR packages there was no other considerable assistance. The representative of the UNHCR office in Kraljevo Mirjana Zdravković said that the entire vulnerable population in the municipality had been sent assistance in the form of tents, blankets, sleeping bags and winter clothing. She said there was no estimate as to how many refugees and displaced persons had been affected by this earthquake, but there were cases that some refugees and IDPs, after this natural disaster, had been made homeless for the second or third time in their lives.
Training/seminar on the EU standards in the field of migration
Within the project “European-Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migration”, a training/seminar was held in Belgrade, at the Palace Hotel, November 8 -10, on the most important segments of the European system of asylum and migration. The training was facilitated by Allan Leas, a representative of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), the most renowned pan-European organisation for the protection of migrants based in Brussels.
For the purpose of the training, ECRE had developed an appropriate manual with key excerpts from the EU documents and estimates of their implementation. The manual also contains the positions of ECRE on the consequences and harmonisation of these documents with the declared international standards.
Read more: Training/seminar on the EU standards in the field of migration
Round table in Novi Sad
Within the project “European – Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migrations”, the round table was held on October 27 in Hotel Putnik, Novi Sad. The host of this round table, attended by more than 20 participants, was the NGO Novi Sad Humanitarian Center. Representatives of non-governmental sector and state institutions took part in the discussion on the problems of forced migrations and possible solutions. Many representatives of Roma organizations attended this round table.
Svetlana Gagić, Director of the Social Welfare Center Becej stated that on the territory of the Municipality, more than 2.200 refugees and internally displaced persons were registered. Local self government made a team which would find solutions for the vulnerable categories of citizens by providing housing, but since there was no assistance from the state and foreign donors, these problems were not solved. She said that a great number of internally displaced persons went to the countries of Western Europe.
Round table in Nis
The first of four round tables within the project “European – Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migrations” was held on September 30, in Hotel Aleksandar, Nis. The round table was hosted by the NGO “Protecta“. Representatives of government institutions, local self government of the city of Nis and civil society discussed the issue of forced migration and possible solutions of their problems in the context of European integrations. City councilor Dušica Davidović gave the overview of the activities undertaken during previous two years in order to integrate refugees and internally displaced persons on the territory of the city. Solution of the housing issue is the main concern of refuges and internally displaced persons, therefore Dušica Davidović gave special attention to the activities related to allocation of apartments and distribution of construction material within community housing program.
Duško Klikovac from the Police department Nis spoke about illegal migrations in South Serbia. He stated the problem of separating asylum seekers and other migrants, emphasizing that the process of illegal migrations was in conjunction with organized crime. The most sensitive is the issue of children and minors who are not accompanied by adults. These children are often from Iraq or Afghanistan, and are caught during illegal stay at the territory of Serbia. They can only be placed in the Home for children without parental care “Vasa Stajić“in Belgrade. Besides the issue of financing the transportation costs and care of those children, often due to limited capacity Home “Vasa Stajić” cannot accept them.
The second meeting of the work groups
Four working groups have been established within the project “European – Serbian Cooperation in the Field of Forced Migrations” in order to prepare the theme paper. Each of these groups focuses on the research in one field of forced migrations, such as: refugees, internally displaced persons, returnees from Western Europe under the readmission agreement and asylum seekers.
On October 13, at the second meeting of the working groups held in hotel Majestic, Belgrade the following difficulties were noticed: Some working groups have cumbersome and uneven material, which requires systematization, and other working groups experience lack of certain thematic segments. Working group in charge of issue of asylum does not have information on implementation of the Law on Asylum, and the text should be restructured.
During the second part of the meeting each working group continued working on the first draft version of the paper.
The first meeting of the working groups
Civil society organizations from several cities in Serbia participate in preparation of the theme paper related to issues of refugees, internally displaced persons, asylum seekers and returnees under readmission agreement. The first joint meeting of working groups was held on September 13, in the Hotel Majestic in Belgrade. The structure of the theme paper, work methodology and basic distribution of assignments were agreed at this meeting.