Articles

Public debate: On the other side

„We are destroyed, but our desire is too strong" – the group of humiliated

The fourth in a series of debates, called "On the other side" will be held on Monday 17 December in the (former) store "Belgrade", Knez Mihajlova St, number 5, starting from 7 pm.

The occassion for the public discussion is the photo exhibition "On the other side" by Dušan Rajić. Held at the Street gallery, exhibition documents one of the temporary, illegal settlement near Serban border with Hungary - the temporary residence of asylum seekers and illegal migrants who are passing through Serbia and Europe.

The public debate will discuss several topics: Immigration Policy of the EU and asylum protection? Are illegal migrants entitled to the asylum protection? How to help asylum seekers? What is the asylum system in Serbia? Is Serbia just a transit country for asylum seekers? What's the meaning of safe third country concept for asylum seekers? How many underage asylum seekers are at the territory of Serbia? These topics will be discussed by: Ivan Milenković, deputy editor in chief of the Third Radio Belgrade, Radoš Đurović, Asylum Protection Center, Miroslav Jelačić, Group 484 and Dušan Rajić, author of the exhibition.

In their attempt to escape from war, political persecution, poverty and the effects of climate changes, these asylum seekers, refugees and undocumented migrants face numerous obstacles: dysfunctional and inadequate systems of asylum protection, border patrol, corrupt government officials, unreliable smugglers, trucks and boats overloaded by people, inhuman conditions of detention, deportation, racism, and various others.

The journey of a refugee may last for several years and often ends in tragedy. Only in the last 20 years, there have been documented over 16000 cases of deaths caused by restrictive immigration policy of the European Union and nobody knows how many lives have been lost without a trace (UNITED, 2012). In 2011 in Serbia there were 3134 registered asylum seekers, while the officers of the Asylum Office had interviewed only 118 asylum seekers and made 55 first-instance decision. Unfortunately, none of the asylum seekers has passed asylum requests and receive adequate protection (Group 484, 2012).

Exhibition "On the other side," is a continuation of the cyclus of eight thematic exhibitions of art organized at "Street gallery" in Bezistan. These series of exhibitions will try to focus public attention on a wide range of social topics and issues such as the status of persons with disabilities, to the rights of workers and the position of elderly in the cities, in order to give citizens a better chance to reflect on the importance of these issues. The special focus here is on the public space as a place where intertwined many of these problems.

Each exhibition will be followed by discussions with authors of these photographs, the experts in the field which deals with the exhibition, as well as the interested public.

We would love you to join us!

For more information you can contact us by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

The exhibition is supported by USAID under the program "Advocacy Initiative of civil society" by the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC).

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