HIGHLIGHTS AND STATISTICS
Of the estimated 4,400 total new refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants in Serbia, over 78% were accommodated in governmental facilities, including 1,221 in the five Asylum Centres and 2,231 in Refugee Aid Points/Reception Centres.
In the late evening of 23 August, a 20 year old Afghan, amongst a group of six men who had entered Serbia irregularly by foot from Bulgaria, was fatally shot by a hunter near Pirot in Eastern Serbia. Media reports that the police have taken the alleged perpetrator in custody while investigating the tragic incident.
On 23 August, Minister of Labour, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs, Aleksandar Vulin and the UNHCR Representative opened the third phase of rehabilitation of the former Tobacco Factory building, which increases the accommodation capacity of the Reception Centre in Preševo by 650 to 1,500 places. The rehabilitation was implemented by DRC, funded mainly by ECHO, through the UNHCR programme.
Thanks to consolidated efforts by Serbian authorities, UNHCR and partners, the numbers of asylum-seekers in the North continued to drop, now to around 750. This includes asylum-seekers camping in the open on Serbian soil close to the Hungarian “transit zones” near Horgos I and Kelebija border-crossings, whose numbers fell to 384 from a peak of 1,011 on 14 July.
While Hungary admitted 90 asylum seekers into its “transit zones” during the last three days, UNHCR and partners collected reports of over 100 push-backs of asylum-seekers who had attempted to enter Hungary irregularly. A particularly serious allegation of use of force during a push-back was recorded on 23 August, when some 20 Afghan men were found in a village near Sombor. They reported to have entered irregularly into Hungary several days ago and alleged that, when they had been brought back to the border with Serbia, the Hungarian police released five dogs on them. Several asylum-seekers had to be treated for serious dog bite injuries by hospitals in Serbia. One remains hospitalized.
286 persons expressed their intent to seek asylum in Serbia, bringing the total for August to 1,491 and for the year 2016 to 7,627 (statistics courtesy of the Ministry of Interior).
SOUTH
The Presevo Reception Centre (RC) occupancy remained at around 500 during the reporting period. The authorities continued referring new arrivals from fYRo Macedonia, Bulgaria and other reception facilities to the RC.
Majority of the residents are Afghans, followed by Iraqi, Pakistani and Syrians.
The authorities, UNHCR and all organizations present and active in the RC assisted the population with food and non-food items, medical services, counselling, interpretation, referrals and recreational activities.
BELGRADE
Of over a 1,000 refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, over 300 were in the city centre daily, while the authorities continued offering accommodation in Krnjaca AC, which sheltered and accommodated over 700.
Sans papier continue to be received at Krnjaca AC, as well as those with referrals for other ACs, to stay the night and then the following day go to police for registration or to continue to the referred AC. Media reported that the city authorities and SCRM informed Info Park to remove its stand from the park in the coming days.
NGOs and organizations in Belgrade provided assistance, counselling and facilitated many referrals, including to asylum procedures, accommodation to the ACs and medical services. Counselling on asylum may have led in a spike in registered intents to apply for asylum, with 212 registered alone on 24 August. Identified unaccompanied minors were referred to the Centre for Social Work. UNHCR/DRC and MDM doctors treated 60 patients during the day in the city.
NORTH
The number of asylum seekers in the North dropped to 775, half of which (mainly women and children from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria) camp in the open on Serbian soil close to the “transit zones” at Horgos I and Kelebija.
The SCRM sheltered an additional 380 asylum-seekers in the Refugee Aid Point (RAP) of Subotica.
The SCRM, UNHCR, and other organizations present provided humanitarian aid, including bottled water, food, fresh fruits, non-food aid, hygiene packages, support to maintenance of the sanitary conditions, medical assistance as well as legal and other counselling.
WEST
The Refugee Aid Points in Sid, Adasevci and Principovac hosted over 1,330 refugees and migrants. Most were referred by SCRM from other locations, mainly Horgos and Subotica. On 24 August, there were 403 in Sid RAP, mainly from Afghanistan or Pakistan, 675 in Adasevci RAP, mainly from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraqi and 255 in Principovac RAP, mainly from Afghanistan.
The SCRM and other organizations present assisted with food, non-food, counselling, referrals, medical, child support, recreational activities, etc.
Media reported that the police in Sid apprehended 33 Afghans and Pakistanis attempting to irregularly cross into Croatia, hidden in two wagons of an international freight train. Additionally, 24 men were encountered in Sid, claiming they managed to enter Croatia irregularly but were pushed-back to Serbia.