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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Interior ministry’s contribution to Serbia’s EU integration

Belgrade, 4 May 2011

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic stated today that with its efforts to preserve security and stability, the Ministry of the Interior has contributed to Serbia’s strategic priority, namely EU integration.

Author: Tanjug

At a meeting with ambassadors from the EU, the United States, Russia and China accredited in Serbia, Dacic stressed that efficient struggle against all forms of crime and corruption has been achieved.

The Ministry places special emphasis on the development of all forms of international cooperation as an important precondition for successful struggle against any threats to the security of citizens and the state, he stressed.

The tendency to reduce incidents between members of different nationalities and religions has continued, and security and protection of all minorities in Serbia has been achieved, he observed.

Stable situation on state borders has been maintained, where activities on the implementation of the Integrated Border Management Strategy also continue, with a special emphasis on technical equipment of the border police.

We also managed to maintain a stable situation in the Ground Safety Zone and the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, but the threat of terrorist activities in these parts is still present, Dacic said.

The government is firmly committed and resolved to prevent false asylum seekers to leave Serbia and seek asylum in the EU, he added.

We are aware of the issue of false asylum seekers and the government is ready to take the necessary measures and cooperate with the EU in order to resolve this problem efficiently and prevent any further abuse of the right to asylum, Dacic stressed.

He specified that contact has been made with relevant asylum and migrations institutions in EU countries where this problem has been recorded, recalling that afterwards media campaign was conducted in Serbia about the meaning of the visa free regime and its implications.

A total number of 10,850 Serbian citizens asked for asylum in the EU from September 2009 to September 2010, Dacic specified, adding that 4,254 of them were repatriated last year in line with the Readmission Agreement.

Late in February 2011 the Serbian government formed a commission to monitor the implementation of visa liberalisation, tasked with constantly monitoring the issue of illegal migrants and proposing measures to prevent this, Dacic observed.

The Ministry held meetings with colleagues from a number of states, including Hungary and Germany, and took part in the work of international police organisations dealing with this issue, he said.

Compared to December 2010, the number of asylum seekers has been reduced by 35% and their main target countries are still Germany, Sweden and Belgium, Dacic observed, adding that there are certain warnings about an increased number of asylum requests in Luxembourg. He therefore announced that the situation in these countries will be closely monitored over the upcoming period.

He told ambassadors at the meeting that they can be assured that Serbia is reliable partners who will help them resolve the issue of false asylum seekers.