Commissariat for Refugees and Migration marks the International Migrants Day on the 18th of December with significantly improved capacities for the reception and accommodation of migrants and the overall migration management. Five permanent along with 13 temporary reception centers throughout Serbia accommodate 4,200 migrants, mostly families with children, while the capacity also stands for 6,000 people that the Republic of Serbia committed to when the Western Balkan Route closed.

In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, more than 500 migrant schoolers have been included into the school system throughout the country since September 2016. Moreover, various educational and creative workshops and sports activities are taking place within the centers, organized with the support of international and nongovernmental organizations. The overall aim is to provide quality time to migrants as the vast majority of them is waiting to continue their journey.

Since the outbreak of the migrant crisis in June 2015, the Republic of Serbia served as a migration transition country for more than a million people. They have certainly become the best ambassadors representing Serbia in the countries of their final destinations.

Throughout this whole time, the Republic of Serbia and its citizens demonstrated an oustanding level of solidarity and humanity toward migrants, as well as responsibility in fullfilling their tasks and obligations, engaging the necessary human, financial, infrastructural and other resources. 

We would like to use this opportunity to express our gratitude first and foremost to the European Union, the largest donor since the migration wave hit the Republic of Serbia, which provided the greatest direct support to the country’s institutions responsible for migration management, as well as to the bilateral donors, nongovernmental sector, implementing partners and all those who recognized the needs and helped local communities carry the burden of the migratory crisis.

The Republic of Serbia is adamant in its decision to play a more active role as a partner country in resolving the migration issues and challenges. We insist to be a part of the unique European solution, especially when it comes to readmission of migrants to the countries of origin.

Today is a great opportunity to remind the international community that the Republic of Serbia is still home to a large number of refugees from former Yugoslav Republics, internally displaced persons from Kosovo and Metochia, returnees under the Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Serbia on the readmission of persons residing without authorisation and other vulnerable categories of people. 

As a consequence of the dissolution of former Yugoslavia and conflicts that occurred during the 90s, over 800.000 individuals from former Yugoslav Republics and internally displaced people from Kosovo and Metochia have sought refuge in the Republic of Serbia. The current state of the affairs in the Republic of Serbia is 201.047 IDPs, while the total number of individuals with the refugee status is 27,802 (19, 032 from Croatia and 8,764 from Bosnia and Herzegovina).