World Refugee Day, 20 June, Republic of Serbia marks with the highest number of refugees in Europe - 43,763 (32,371 from Croatia and 11,324 from Bosnia and Herzegovina). While marking this day, the Republic of Serbia is disappointed after recent recommendation of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to cease the refugee status to refugees from Croatia.

This recommendation was made despite strong opposition of the Republic of Serbia, as country with the highest number of refugees from Croatia. Such a unilateral decision is without precedent and Serbia has repeatedly and clearly expressed its unequivocal disagreement with the passing of this unfounded and manifestly political decision. Regretfully, the Recommendation was passed disregarding the actual situation of refugees that has not improved.

Croatia did not pay outstanding pensions, RSD and foreign exchange savings. Tens of thousands of refugees from Croatia, 19 years after the end of the war, did not regain their tenancy rights. Croatia has not reconstructed more than 10,000 destroyed Serbian homes in areas where there was no war and about 8,000 homes on war-affected areas. Neither was agricultural land restituted. The competent institutions in the Republic of Croatia do not prosecute individuals who spread hate speech and campaign against the Serbian language and letters.  All of the above arguments support the view that the expected change, unfortunately, did not happen.

At the time of the largest refugee crisis Serbia has provided shelter for as many as 618,000 refugees. Number from year to year decreased, primarily as a result of the refugee integration in Serbia, which, with more than 300,000 former refugees received in citizenship, is an example of the most massive integration of refugees in contemporary Europe.

And after more than two decades, the needs of the refugee population in Serbia are still large. Republic of Serbia, with the help of the international community, provides refugees and internally displaced persons, on average, five housing solutions daily.

From the former 700 collective centers, which provided shelter for 60,000 people, there are still in Serbia 23 of them, which house 1,650 beneficiaries, mostly IDPs. Due to existing housing programs which follow the closure of collective centers, the financial support of the European Union, budget funds of the Republic of Serbia and the support of UNHCR, during the next two years all of the remaining centers will be closed and their residents will receive appropriate housing solution. The closure of collective centers will be possible thanks to the program "For Better Life", which is funded by the European Union.

Better days await refugee families living in inadequate private accommodation, because, thanks to Regional Housing Programme of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Croatia, Republic of Montenegro and Republic of Serbia, 16,780 of the most vulnerable families in Serbia will get a roof over their heads.

The Republic of Serbia will remain committed to providing all kinds of assistance to refugees and will make efforts for peaceful enjoyment and protection of private property and acquired rights of citizens, guaranteed and certified by Annex E and G of the Agreement on succession.

• Serbia is the first country in Europe and one of the five countries in the world with so called protracted refugee situation.
• Till 1995 Serbia has received 618,000 refugees from the former Yugoslav Republics (266,000 refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina and 330,000 from Croatia)
• Only 144,000 refugees have returned to their countries of origin (75,000 to Bosnia and Herzegovina and 69,000 to Croatia)
• In the period 2008-2014 Commissariat has provided 6,864 permanent solutions for refugees and internally displaced persons, donated 4,274 packages of construction materials, purchased 1,166 village houses with garden, donated 346 prefabricated houses, constructed 927 housing units intended for social housing in protected conditions and 151 residential units for lease with option rights. At the same time Commissariat donated 5,778 packages for economic empowerment
• European Union since 2001 donated more than 74 million EUR, including the construction of housing units and prefabricated houses for social housing in protected conditions, donation of packages for economic empowerment, organizing training and providing free legal help
• Regional Housing Programme of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia will provide housing solutions for 27,000 most vulnerable refugee families in the region, of which 16,780 families in Serbia
• Additional number of refugees in Serbia will be able to solve their housing problems through the return to country of origin and through the Regional housing projects of Croatia and Bosnia
• The total value of the regional housing programs of four countries amounts to 584 million EUR, of which 335 million EUR to Serbia
• At the donor conference held in Sarajevo in April 2012 it was collected for the implementation of the Regional Housing Program 261 million EUR, of which the European Union has provided 230 million EUR
• Implementation of the first wave of the Regional Housing Project in Serbia began in the fall 2013