Belgrade, 19.6.2015. – Republic of Serbia meets this day, again, as one of the five countries in the world listed by UNHCR with a protracted refugee situation. About 618.000 persons (266.000 from B&H and 330.000 from Croatia), arrived during the Yugoslav wars 1991-1995. and got protected by granting refugee status in Serbia. The Republic of Serbia still has 35.295 persons with refugee status.
Number of those who are still in need is far bigger than this, and similar doom is shared by more than 203.000 internally displaced persons from Kosovo and Metohija, as well as 18.000 persons which are displaced within Kosovo and Metohija.

Republic of Serbia showed its humanity and fulfilling its international obligations and standards in the field of human rights towards more than 22.000 asylum seekers in the first six months of 2015.
Beside tremendous efforts and extensive support of international community, issue of refugees in this area is still not resolved. Great improvement is achieved, primarily in resolving problems of existential importance of refugee population and dynamic of ensuring permanent housing solutions, which, in last years, counts five housing solutions per day. Between 2008 and 2014, 7,800 families got adequate housing solution, while 6,300 families were economically empowered.

The data about the number of collective centers only confirms this statement. In fact, from more than 700 collective centers with approximately 65.000 people, in Serbia now exist 18 collective centers (8 are within K&M) in which are 1.116 refugees and internally displaced persons. EU (funds) support the closure of all remaining collective centers and it will be done by the end of the year in accordance with the National Strategy for Resolving the Problems of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, and refugees accommodated in CC will receive adequate housing solutions.

Hope for a better tomorrow of refugees is the Regional Housing Programme of the Republic of Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Within next three years it will provide around 6,500 housing solutions in the region, of which 4,153 families in Serbia will get a flat, prefabricated house, building materials package or a rural household, all this owing to implementation of so far approved subprojects.

Current situation would be better if countries of origin, primarily Republic of Croatia, showed political willingness for resolving numerous open questions that effect everyday life of refugee population. During more than 20 years, only 144.000 refugees have returned in countries of their origin (75000 to B&H and 69000 in Croatia). Inadequate access to rights of refugees from Croatia in their home countries, has been stumbling point to regional cooperation. Despite improvements achieved  through regional cooperation, questions of due but unpaid pensions, savings  in domestic and foreign currencies, 40,000 deprived residential rights, lack of rebuilding of  more than 10,000 destroyed Serbian houses in areas that weren’t in war zones and recovery of deprived agricultural land are still unresolved. Inaction of Croatian institutions towards rising number of ethnically based incidents arose from hate speech, so as lack of protection of Serbian language, are particularly worrisome.

Despite different legal status, internally displaced persons from K&M are also dealing with inability of returning to their homes. Less than 5 percent of internally displaced persons population have returned to K&M. Main obstacles to sustained return are security situation, lack of adequate and efficient mechanism for fulfilling civil rights, unresolved question of recovery of property, inability of using destroyed, usurped residential and agricultural property, lack of funds for reconstruction or building of houses for returnees, difficult access to public services and using native language, absence of economics which would support returning, so as complicated procedures of returning. 

As transit country, Republic of Serbia faces, on a yearly basis, increased number of asylum seekers from war thorn countries of Asia and Africa. This year figures are higher than ever, at the end of May 22.182 persons claimed asylum in Republic of Serbia. Out of this number, just 5,770 persons requested accommodation in asylum centers. At this moment, Republic of Serbia intensively works on improving asylum system and its harmonization with standards and legislature of the European Union.

Commissariat for Refugees and Migration uses this opportunity to express its  gratefulness to international organizations and all the donors for their support and resources for life improvement of refugee population, as well as for efforts at our struggle for establishing mechanisms for comprehensive and justly solving remaining open questions of regional process,  with emphasis on the priority of continuing of activities on implementing annexes E and G of Agreement on succession and solving remaining issues in process of regional cooperation. Republic of Serbia is fully dedicated to fulfillment of its obligations and strengthening stability and peace in the Balkans.