Asylum in Serbia, Cucic names 270 asylum seekers
In Serbia reside approximately 270 asylum seekers. The stories about thousands of asylum seekers aren't correct and that causes suspicion, says Vladimir Cucic.
So far, in Serbia asylum is granted only one Somali, Iraqi, and Egyptian Copt.
Serbian documents would be given even athletes from Somalia, on which media reported as future national team players of the Balkan country, but they run 'further' to west. However, while they are waiting for the government's decision, which is the procedure that takes several months, asylum seekers generally disappear from local reception centers, and they illegally leave Serbia. They try to find happiness in the richer countries of EU.
The stories about thousands asylum seekers in Serbia are pure fiction, which in migration services from Hungaria to Norway cause suspicion to our country. At the moment, in Serbia are approximately 270 asylum seekers, and they are accommodated in centers in Banja Koviljaca and Bogovadja, in which storage capacity is 87 and 180 beds. The centers are opened, asylum seekers gets documents for residential from Ministry of Interior of Serbia, and most of them have IDs. In this residential centers exist house rules, and if they disobey this rules or leave the centers without permission, their rights to housing will be suspended', says Vladimir Cucic, Serbian Commissioner for Refugees.
According to Mr. Cucic, the main solution to the problem, are not hermetically closed border outside the official borders, or keeping these foreigners in the closed centers. He solution is assembly and obeying a agreement of readmission. It is a procedure of their returning in the country from which they entered in the country they seek for asylum.
-A agreement of readmision with Macedonia is important for our country, because most of foreigners illegally entering Serbia from there' says Cucic.
The main reason is geographical, an illegal passage to West across Bulgaria and Romania are difficult because of Danube, and the direction across Albania, Montenego, Bosnia and Croatia have many borders.
The Center in Bogovadja is actually resort of the Red Cross, organization which provides a accomodation and food for asylum seekers.
Recently our search service is engaged in assisting asylum seekers, as while they are migrating from Asia or Africa to countries of EU they often lose contacts with their families. For example, a few members arrive in Sweden, and then over the Red Cross they asks for the relatives who may be in Serbia', says Vesna Milenovic, general secretary of the Serbian Red Cross.
This organization was active last winter in Subotica, when group of asylum seekers have found themselves outdoors. While they were staying in this city, in one of our facilities we provided them food and shelter. Several young asylum seekers are residing in Insitute for Children and Youth in Belgrade, although the centers in Banja Koviljaca and Bogovadja provide a good system of care for minors. The Commissariat for Refugess of Serbia says that they will soon provide adequate treatmen for them.