HIGHLIGHTS AND STATISTICS
The estimated total number of new refugees/migrants/asylum-seekers stood at 3,700, of which around 1,150 gathered in the North to (re-)enter the EU/Hungary.
The situation in Belgrade remained challenging, with some 450 refugees/migrants staying overnight in the city centre, while up to 246 asylum-seekers were sheltered in the Asylum Centre (AC) of Krnjača.
236 persons expressed their intent to seek asylum in Serbia, bringing the total for August to 338 and for the year 2016 to 6,474 (statistics courtesy of the Ministry of Interior). During July 1,532 persons registered intentions to seek asylum in Serbia, of which 47% were adult men 14% adult women and 39% children. The majority of asylum-seekers were citizens of Afghanistan (48%), Syria (18%), Pakistan (14%) or Iraq (10%). During the month of July, two asylum-seekers were granted refugee status and two subsidiary protection, while six asylum applications were rejected (concerning nationals of Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan).
Interior Minister Stefanović stated that irregular entries from Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia have decreased. He added that also controls at the border with Montenegro were strengthened.
BELGRADE
UNHCR and partners assisted between 400 and 620 refugees, asylum seekers and migrants daily in the city centre. Krnjaca AC continued to admit only registered asylum-seekers.
The Asylum Info Centre (AIC) assisted, counselled and referred many refugees/migrants, including to asylum procedures, accommodation in Krnjaca AC and medical services. UNHCR/DRC doctors treated 105 refugees/migrants during the day, while MSF and the Real Medicine Foundation (RMF) were on duty at night. The Red Cross, Info Park, Divac Foundation, Refugee Aid Miksaliste, Refugee Aid Serbia, Caritas and others provided food and other aid.
On 5 August, humanitarian partners involved with food distribution in Belgrade met for an ad hoc coordination meeting to discuss the challenges of food distribution coordination and meeting the needs of refugees and migrants present daily in Belgrade’s central area.
NORTH
Some 1,156 asylum seekers were present at the end of the reporting period at the border with Hungary. Of these 448 were in Horgos I and 209 in Kelebija - predominantly women and children (62%) 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”.
The SCRM, UNHCR, HCIT, UNICEF, IOM, MSF, MDM, HELP, CRS/BCM, Group 484 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.
UNHCR/HCIT provided tools to asylum-seekers to clean the sites from trash and dig up trenches to improve drainage of the grounds during summer rains.
The SCRM shelter up to 440 asylum-seekers in the Refugee Aid Point (RAP) of Subotica. Hungary continued admitting approximately 30 asylum-seekers per day. 114 asylum seekers were admitted into Hungarian “transit zones” during the reporting period. Sixteen asylum-seekers that had been pushed-backs from Hungary into Serbia were encountered and interviewed.
On 4 August in Subotica, Yazidi refugees marked the second anniversary of the massacre of Yazidis by so-called Islamic State.
WEST
SCRM RAPs in the West hosted an average of 1,150 refugees/migrants, mainly referred there from the North, but also from Belgrade and the East. On 7 August, 411 were accommodated at Šid RAP, 450 at Adaševci RAP and 302 at Principovac RAP. The majority were nationals of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.
They were assisted by SCRM, UNHCR, HCIT, IOM, Caritas, Philanthropy, DRC, APC, the Red Cross, MSF, MDM, IDC, Ministry of Labour and WAHA doctors.
SOUTH
Occupancy of Presevo Reception Centre (RC) increased to 243 refugees/migrants/asylum-seekers (from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Bangladesh, etc.) as of 7 July - arrivals from fYRo Macedonia, Bulgaria and other reception facilities.
On 4 August, upon request of authorities, IOM and UNHCR transported 87 new arrivals from the East/Bulgarian border to the RC.
The SCRM, UNHCR, the Red Cross, Indigo, CRS-BCM, ADRA, ATINA, Group 484, Humedica, SOS Children’s Villages, DRC, Save the Children, Care, Caritas, REMAR, Philanthropy, Border Free, Youth For Refugees, KinderBerg, assisted them with food/NFIs, medical services, interpretation, counselling, referrals, as well as recreational activities. The UNICEF/DRC child-friendly space in Presevo RC hosted 84 children and 25 mothers and the mother and baby corner hosted 12 babies and 11 mothers.