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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

140,000 refugees and displaced persons registered in Serbia

Belgrade, 27 January 2005

Serbian Commissioner for Refugees Dragisa Dabetic said today that the 139,483 people applied for the status of a refugee or displaced person during the latest registration process, conducted between November 27, 2004, and January 25, 2005, which is a 50% drop against the previous refugee census, carried out in 2001.

Dragisa Dabetic

Author: Tanjug

Dabetic told a press conference that the figure of nearly 140,000 refugees in Serbia does not mean that there are half as many refugees in Serbia today but rather that around 100,000 people have been granted Serbia-Montenegrin citizenship and also that a small number of them have returned to their homes or emigrated to third countries or died in the meantime.

According to Dabetic, the state will continue to help refugees, both those who have become citizens of Serbia and those who wish to return to Bosnia-Herzegovina or Croatia.

He announced that a ministerial meeting between representatives of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia-Montenegro will be held in Sarajevo on January 31 to adopt a declaration on a solution to the problem of refugees.

Dabetic recalled that Serbia is still receiving funds for the integration of refugees from the EU and a study for receiving 20 million euros to build apartments for refugees is about to be finished.

In about 140 collective centres, including 19 in Kosovo-Metohija, there are some 11,000 of the most vulnerable refugees and internally displaced persons, said Dabetic. He added that the phasing out of these centres will continue but that the state will provide alternative solutions and that nobody will be left without shelter.

Dabetic also said that the Serbian delegation at the meeting in Sarajevo will bring up the issue of the illegal sale of Serb property in Croatia.

The Croatian government has already taken certain steps in that direction and Serbian authorities are ready to provide any assistance to clear the issue with Croatia, he said.

Dabetic also said that the new law regarding Serbia-Montenegrin citizenship will grant refugees the right of dual citizenship, which will help them claim their property along with the retention of other rights.