Today in the Republic of Serbia, 20 years after the outbreak of war in the former Yugoslavia, there are 66,408 refugees from Bosnia and Croatia and 210,148 internally displaced persons from Kosovo and Metohija. Some of the aforementioned currently reside in one of the 39 operational collective centers (of which 13 in Kosovo), which accommodate in total some 3.160 persons (601 refugees and 2.559 internally displaced persons).

Unfortunately, our country is still the first country in Europe in terms of the total number of displaced persons and refugees, and one of only five countries in the world with protracted refugee crisis, which of itself is the reason for a lack of access to the associated rights of refugees and internally displaced persons within their countries and or places of origin. Access to individual rights without discrimination, in the countries / places of origin for all refugees and internally displaced persons, is essential regardless of whether they decide to return or integration. It is the only way for their lost human rights and dignity to be returned.

The Republic of Serbia over the past 20 years, according to the data of the Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia and the UNHCR, has provided shelter to more than 850,000 war affected people. Despite the extremely difficult economic situation in the country, significant funds were invested in order to find durable solutions and provide for the sustainable integration of refugees. The majority of the aforementioned resources were derived from the budget of the Republic of Serbia, but also with substantial assistance being provided by the international community, and significant contributions being provided through the personal funds of refugees and internally displaced persons.

In the period since 2008 the Republic of Serbia has provided 4.424 durable solutions through donations of packages of building materials, the purchase of village households, donation of prefabricated houses, construction of housing units and the donation of packages for economic empowerment. Funds were provided from out of the IPA program to the extent of some 19.7 million Euros, some 7.1 million Euros from the national budget 10.6 million Euros provided by the UNHCR, 2.4 million Euros provided by the Government of the United States of America, 450,000 Euros provided by the Government of Germany, all of which amounts to a total of 40.25 million Euros.

The re-establishment of regional cooperation in 2008, the holding of two Ministerial Conferences and the holding of the Donor’s Conference in Sarajevo in April of this year has resulted in the raising of some 300 million Euros in order to address those issues faced by the most vulnerable refugees in the region.

 The value of the project pertaining to the Republic of Serbia is 335 million Euros which should be provided for the resolution of the housing problems for some 16,780 families over the course of the next 5 years.

Serbia will continue to seek for durable solutions for all displaced persons who still reside on its territory through both the utilization of its internal resources and the support of the international community.