Q:
A:
Asylum seekers make 28,187 requests this year
Belgrade,
19 June 2015
Minister of the Interior Nebojsa Stefanovic and Head of the UNHCR Office in Serbia Friedrich Schodder agreed today that Hungary’s announcement that it will raise fences along its border with Serbia is not a solution to the problem of migrants.
Friedrich Schodder and Nebojsa Stefanovic
Speaking at a press conference with Schodder, held on the occasion of marking 20 June – the World Refugee Day, he underlined that every country has the right to solve problems in the way it thinks best for its citizens.
He stated that since the beginning of 2015, 28,187 persons requested asylum in Serbia, of whom the most are citizens of Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Pakistan.
According to Stefanovic, the majority of them do not want to stay in Serbia, and only a minority of them remains here, but Serbia is obliged to provide some funding for every refugee, which is why we were asking help from the UN, but also by the EU.
Schodder reiterated that lifting the fence would only aggravate this situation because the refugees would remain in one place for many days without being able to move on, and then they could turn to smugglers, criminals or find some other, more difficult routes, which deteriorates the already difficult situation.
He said that the UNHCR advocates a regular, organised protection of refugees.
UNHCR is worried about these developments. We believe that every country has the right to control its borders and to control people entering through its borders and who are on its territory, but at the same time we must bear in mind the needs of vulnerable refugees and that their rights are respected, Schodder said.
He stated that since the beginning of 2015, 28,187 persons requested asylum in Serbia, of whom the most are citizens of Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia and Pakistan.
According to Stefanovic, the majority of them do not want to stay in Serbia, and only a minority of them remains here, but Serbia is obliged to provide some funding for every refugee, which is why we were asking help from the UN, but also by the EU.
Schodder reiterated that lifting the fence would only aggravate this situation because the refugees would remain in one place for many days without being able to move on, and then they could turn to smugglers, criminals or find some other, more difficult routes, which deteriorates the already difficult situation.
He said that the UNHCR advocates a regular, organised protection of refugees.
UNHCR is worried about these developments. We believe that every country has the right to control its borders and to control people entering through its borders and who are on its territory, but at the same time we must bear in mind the needs of vulnerable refugees and that their rights are respected, Schodder said.
-
Belgrade, 22 January 2025Egypt one of Serbia’s closest partners on international stage
-
Belgrade, 9 July 2024Support for 104 associations in diaspora that preserve Serbian language, culture
-
Belgrade, 15 April 2024Competition for StarTech grants open until 31 May
-
Belgrade, 2 October 2023Serbia respects Resolution 1244 and will do everything to preserve peace
-
Belgrade, 13 September 2023Day of Serbian Unity to be celebrated outside borders of Serbia, Republika Srpska for the first time
-
Belgrade, 8 August 2023RSD 24.2m in state aid paid out to citizens affected by storm
-
Belgrade, 17 June 2023Belgrade is doing everything to preserve peace in Kosovo and Metohija
-
Belgrade, 15 June 2023Slovenia will continue to support Serbia on its way to EU
-
Belgrade, 5 May 2023Emergency measures, tightening of conditions for possessing weapons
-
Belgrade, 3 May 2023Three days of mourning in Serbia over tragedy at Vladislav Ribnikar primary school