Highlights and Statistics
On 02 April, 7,720 refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants were counted in Serbia. 85% (6,593) were sheltered in 17 government facilities, while the rest slept rough in Belgrade city centre or close to the borders with Croatia or Hungary.
On 28 March, the legislative amendments came into effect in Hungary, which prescribe mandatory detention of all asylum-seekers, including many children, for the entire length of the asylum procedure. UNHCR, like the ECHR, Council of Europe and many others, question their compliance with applicable international and European law (UNHCR Press Release, ECHR ruling, EC Press Release). Refugees and migrants throughout Serbia continued to express increased exasperation with their enactment, fearing prolonged detention before being denied entry to substantive asylum procedures in Hungary and being pushed-back to Serbia. Many indicate they would instead try to irregularly re-enter the EU. UNHCR continues offering authorities increased support to maintain mental health and security, especially in the Transit Centres (TCs) in the West of Serbia that have the lowest NGO presence and appear most vulnerable to tensions.
Nine cases of collective expulsions from Hungary were encountered this week, compared to five last week. Consistent with increased attempts to irregularly enter Croatia, 56 collective expulsions from Croatia were encountered this week, compared to 60 last week.
A tragic accident, illustrating the high risks taken by those who attempt irregular crossings, was reported on 01 April, when a young man from Algeria climbed on top of a train in Sid and got electrocuted by overhead cables, suffering serious burns. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.
On 31 March, authorities transported 44 male refugees/migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Morocco and Algeria, including 12 boys, from various locations in and around the Sid TC to the Presevo Reception Centre (RC), where they were received by camp management, UNHCR and partners who provided medical screening, body lice treatment, NFIs, food and registration.
Unaccompanied and Separated refugee Children (UASC) continued arriving daily, mainly from Bulgaria. Some 26 new, mostly Afghan, boys were referred by UNHCR and partners to the Centre for Social Work in Belgrade alone. By now over 900 UASCs are in Serbia, with 775 accommodated in government centres, including 359 in Obrenovac, 124 in Presevo, 24 in Bujanovac, and 268 in all other governmental shelters, as well as close to 200 in Belgrade city centre.
In March, the Border Guard’s Asylum Office registered a total of 710 individuals intending to seek asylum in Serbia: 43% were made by men, 9% by women and 48% were registered as children. Most were made by citizens of Afghanistan (45%), Iraq (20%), Pakistan (16%), Syria (6%) and other nationalities (13%). One negative (one rejection) first-instance decision was recorded in March and no positive decisions have been taken by the Asylum Office yet in 2017.
Paragraphs 32 and 33 of the concluding observations (link) of the UN Human Rights Committee (CCPR) review contain pertinent recommendations to Serbia regarding its treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. You may wish to also study the UNHCR Serbia overview “Europe Refugee Situation: Serbia 2016 in Numbers”, available here, as well as UNHCR’s real-time tracking of reception conditions and access to services at all 17 government shelters in Serbia, at the following link.
