Commissioner for Refugees and Migration Vladimir Cucic hosted a visit of the Minister of Justice and Police of the Swiss Confederation Simon Somaruga at the Center for Asylum in Krnjaca.

Commissioner Cucic highlighted the long-term cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the Swiss Confederation in the area of migration and reminded that the Republic of Serbia and the Swiss Confederation established a partnership in this domain in 2009. The Commissioner thanked for the continued support of Switzerland for projects aiming to strengthen government capacities for migration management.

During the visit to the Asylum Center, Minister Somaruga had the opportunity to see the accommodation conditions and various services provided to migrants and asylum seekers in Serbia, ranging from health care, access to education, opportunities for assisted voluntary return, and numerous recreational and occupational activities that are organized daily in the centers. Minister engaged in direct conversation with migrants and asylum seekers about their position in Serbia and their future plans.

Somaruga praised the efforts of the relevant institutions of the Republic of Serbia in providing adequate protection to migrants and especially acknowledged the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration for its hospitality, care for migrants, human approach, the overall conditions and numerous services provided to migrants in the centers, especially in the field of education of children.

Commissariat for Refugees and Migration and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are currently implementing the project Support to the Migration Management System in the Republic of Serbia, worth 800,000 Swiss francs. The aim of the project is to strengthen the migration management system in the Republic of Serbia in accordance with international standards and legal acquisitions of the EU, with particular reference to cooperation mechanisms and capacity building at the local level to ensure the protection of migrants’ rights.