Highlights
The overall number of refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants counted in Serbia averaged 7,800. An average of 6,700 (86%) of them were sheltered in 17 heated government facilities. The others were staying rough in Belgrade city centre, in the North near the Hungarian border and in the West near the border with Croatia.
On 24 March, UNHCR and partners surveyed refugees/migrants in Belgrade city centre. Amongst 1,395 counted - all male - 368 agreed to be interviewed. Most were from Afghanistan (85%), followed by Pakistan. 11% of the interviewees confirmed to be sheltered in Obrenovac Transit Centre (TC) but come to the city regularly. 125 were UASCs, mostly Afghan. Over 50% of those profiled had reached Serbia in the previous four months; 64% stated they were waiting for smugglers in order to help them reach either France or Italy.
Unfortunately, the accident which happened on 2 February in Šid, when four Algerian men sustained life-threatening injuries after accidentally triggering an explosion on a cargo train carriage transporting fuel, ended tragically for one of the victims, who passed away after more than two months of intensive care. The three other survivors applied for assisted voluntary return home to Algeria.
On 6 March, the Spokesperson of UNHCR in Geneva Cécile Pouilly expressed concern about a new law which was adopted that very day by the Hungarian Parliament and which foresees the mandatory detention of all asylum seekers, including many children, for the entire length of the asylum procedure. In practice, it means that every asylum-seeker, including children, will be detained in shipping containers surrounded by high razor wire fence at the border for extended periods of time. The full UNHCR statement can be found here. The EC Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks also expressed his concern over the new Hungarian law in his statement from 8 March.
On 8 March, Serbian police informed that two bodies were found in the river Danube, near the place Bezdan and the border with Hungary, suspected to be refugees/migrants who had attempted to cross into Hungary irregularly. The bodies were in a state of decomposing and circumstances of drowning and the identity of the casualties remained unknown.