HIGHLIGHTS AND STATISTICS
The number of asylum seekers gathering to re-enter the EU at the Northern border to Hungary decreased slightly, averaging 1,200. Six pushbacks from Hungary into Serbian territory were encountered. Around 100 protesters ended their peaceful hunger strike on 29 July, after six days of protesting close to Horgos I border crossing.
On 28 July, two separated children (a 10 months old Afghan girl and a 5 years old Syrian boy), identified in Serbia two months ago, were finally readmitted to and re-unified with their parents in Bulgaria, with the support of UNHCR offices in both countries and Serbian and Bulgarian authorities.
The situation in Belgrade remained challenging, with an average of 570 refugees/migrants having to overnight in Belgrade city centre, while only around 190 asylum-seekers were sheltered at the Asylum Centre (AC) of Krnjača.
240 persons expressed their intent to seek asylum in Serbia, bringing the total for July to 1,515 and for the year 2016 to 6,136 (statistics courtesy of the Ministry of Interior).
BELGRADE
UNHCR and partners assisted between 400 and 650 refugees, asylum seekers and migrants daily in the city centre. Krnjaca AC continued to admit only registered asylum-seekers.
The Asylum Info Centre assisted, counselled and referred many refugees/migrants, including to asylum procedures, accommodation to Krnjaca AC and medical services. UNHCR/DRC doctors treated refugees/migrants during the day, while MSF and the Real Medicine Foundation (RMF) were on duty at night. Info Park, Divac Foundation, Refugee Aid Miksaliste, Refugee Aid Serbia, Caritas and others provided food and other aid, and the
The Red Cross again started distributing food parcels in Belgrade bus station park as of 28 July, after a month and a half of absence from Belgrade’s central area.
NORTH
Some 1,262 asylum seekers were present at the end of the reporting period at the border with Hungary. Of the total, 545 were in Horgos I and 224 in Kelebija, predominantly women and children (63%) from Afghanistan and Syria, waiting for long periods of time in difficult conditions and hot temperatures on Serbian soil in front of the Hungarian “transit zones”.
Hygienic conditions were slightly improved with the installation of an additional water tap in Horgos I, although the need for more frequent and more thorough waste collection remains an issue in both border crossings.
The SCRM, UNHCR, HCIT, UNICEF, IOM, MSF, MDM, HELP, CRS/BCM and the Red Cross provided humanitarian aid, including bottled water, food, fresh fruits, hygiene packages and other non-food items, medical assistance as well as legal and other counselling.
The SCRM shelter up to 420 asylum-seekers in the Refugee Aid Point (RAP) of Subotica.
Hungary continued admitting approximately 30 asylum-seekers per day. 117 asylum seekers were admitted into Hungarian “transit zones” during the reporting period.
WEST
SCRM RAPs in the West hosted an average of 1,000 refugees/migrants, mainly referred there from the North, but also from Belgrade and the East. On 29 July, 378 were accommodated at Šid RAP, 388 at Adaševci RAP and 183 at Principovac RAP. The majority were nationals of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.
They were assisted by SCRM, UNHCR, HCIT, IOM, Philanthropy, DRC, APC, Red Cross, MSF, MDM, IDC, Ministry of Labour and WAHA doctors.
EAST
Works were underway in Dimitrovgrad on the construction of a new RAP, a joint initiative of SCRM, Arbeiter Samariter Bund (ASB) and the municipal authorities.
SOUTH
Presevo Reception Centre (RC) continued to host an average of 133 refugees/migrants (from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Bangladesh, etc.), arrivals from fYRo Macedonia and other reception facilities.
Two Afghan boys (17 and 13 years old), who got separated from their families on the territory of fYRoM on 19-20 July, arrived in Presevo RC on 31st July and were reunited with their families who were already in the RC.