JULY 2019

Praxis
Protection
Monitoring
Report
Refugee & Migration Situation
in Belgrade, Serbia

This document was prepared by non-governmental
organisation Praxis, as part of the project funded by
Save the Children and aimed at providing protection
monitoring and assistance to refugees and migrants
in Belgrade.
The views set out in this document are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
Save the Children.
Photos © Praxis
Design Ivo Matejin, Propulsion
www.praxis.org.rs
Praxis
Praxis is a national non-governmental organization established in 2004 in
Belgrade that protects human rights by providing legal protection and ad-
vocating for elimination of systemic obstacles in access to rights.
Praxis acts in the area of status and socioeconomic rights, antidiscrimi-
nation, gender equality, migration, child rights and public administration
reform.
In addition to providing free legal aid, Praxis achieves its goals through
monitoring of public policies, research, analysis and advocating for system-
ic solutions and the elimination of obstacles to accessing rights by raising
awareness of the problems faced by marginalized and socially excluded
communities attempting to integrate, educational outreach, publishing of
reports, and providing expert support for reforms, as well as through net-
working and cooperation.
Data presented in this report has been collected directly by Praxis’ mobile
outreach teams working in numerous locations in Belgrade, most often tra-
versed by refugee/migrant population. This approach also enabled Praxis
to collect data from beneficiaries who did not use stationary services.
2
Highlights
Newly arrived refugees/migrants

Adults UAMs UAMs

Country Total (M/F) Children Boys Girls UAMs* Boys Girls

543
Afghanistan 352/1 190 190 / 188 188 /
(37.9%)

437
Pakistan 403/1 33 33 / 31 31 /
(30.5%)

2019 JULY 234

Other 194/23 17 14 3 16 14 2
(16.3%)

Arrivals New arrivals Refferals Reported 151

Iraq 73/30 48 23 25 3 3 /
by Praxis pushbacks (10.5%)

6988 1432 403 916

25
Syria 17/3 5 2 3 2 1 1
(1.7%)

TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL 19

Algeria 19/0 / / / / / /

2136 294
(1.3%)

12
Iran 11/0 1 1 / 1 1 /
CHILDREN CHILDREN (0.8%)

1897 Morocco
11
(0.8%)
11/0 / / / / / /

UAMS

The refugees/migrants of other nationalities were from: Glossary

M/F  Male/Female
Bangladesh (127), Burundi (4), Egypt (21), Eritrea (7), Ethiopia
UAM  Unaccompanied Minor
(1), India (10), China (6), Congo (1), Kuwait (2), Libya (2), Nepal
(3), Palestine (6), Sierra Leone (1), Somalia (35), Sri Lanka (2),
Tunisia (2), Sudan (2), Turkey (1) and Yemen (1)
* Number of UAMs is included in the total number of children.

3 Praxis Protection Monitoring Report July 2019

Arrivals
N. Macedonia
433 Total July
Refferals

Montenegro
12 1

Romania
Hungary
Bulgaria

BIA NFI’s
Albania

Croatia

plane

N/A
BiH
↘ FIELD SOCIAL WORKER ↘ NSHC/RAS
via

via

via

via

via

via

via

via

by
66,5 % 21,9 % 7,1 % 0,5 % 0% 0,3 % 0,0 % 0,9 % 0,6 % 2,2 %

247 18
Food Transportation
↘ INFO PARK ↘ INFO PARK

7 71
Registration with police/ Medical and psychological
Reports to the police help
↘ POLICE ↘ MSF

35 2
Accomodation in asylum/ Legal assistance
reception centres without ↘ BCHR
Most of the refugees/migrants in April arrived in Serbia via North Macedo-
registration with the police
nia. The largest number of refugees/migrants who arrived bay plane were
↘ SCRM
from Burundi.

4
SGBV/Trafficking
↘ NGO ATINA

4
Protection
In this reporting period, Praxis provided assistance to
a total of 1551 refugees/migrants, including both the
newly arrived and those who had arrived over the past
months, through information, psychosocial support, re-
ferrals to the targeted assistance provided by various
organisations/institutions or by covering the costs of
transport to the asylum and reception centres.
INFORMATION  Praxis informed 1432 newly arrived
refugees/migrants about the current situation in Serbia
istration or transportation to one of the reception or
asylum centres they have been referred to, did not
exceed 24 in this period.
PROTECTION BY PRESENCE
••Praxis escorted 7 refugees/migrants to the Police
Station in Savska Street and assisted them in the pro-
cedure of expressing their intention to seek asylum.

7
and the region, legal status and available legal options Refugees/migrants
(seeking asylum in Serbia, assisted voluntary return
to the country of origin, possibilities of family reunifi- assisted in the procedure of
cation abroad or resettlement to a third country when expressing their intention to
possible), accommodation in asylum centres (AC) or tran-
seek asylum
sit-reception centres in Serbia, means of transportation
to the assigned centres, other rights and available ser- TRANSPORTATION
vices (medical care, psychosocial support, food, NFIs, ••Praxis continued to cover costs of transportation, as
various workshops for refugees/ migrants etc). needed, as needed, to reception and asylum centres
in Sid, Pirot, Vranje, Bujanovac, Kikinda and Vladicin
OBSERVATIONS Han.
••The number of refugees/migrants met and inter-
viewed by Praxis’ mobile teams did not exceed 350

30
on a daily basis.
••Up to 54 refugees/migrants were seen sleeping
Transport services
rough in the parks near the Belgrade Bus Station provided
every morning.
••The number of persons who had the opportunity to
spend the night in Miksalište, while waiting for reg-

5 Praxis Protection Monitoring Report July 2019

607 Total July
Pushbacks
Violations & Pushbacks

2019 JULY
PUSHBACKS  a total of 850 refugees/migrants report-

393
ed 916 cases of pushbacks occurring at the different

4252 916 393 57 borders along the Balkan route. Some of the refugees/
migrants reported
migrants were pushed back at more than one border. excessive use of force
Children were involved in 143 cases of pushbacks (128 by police
TOTAL REPORTED TOTAL REPORTED REFUGEES/MIGRANTS REFUGEES/MIGRANTS
children, out of whom 117 UAMs (116 boys and 1 girl), and
PUSHBACKS PUSHBACKS REPORTED EXCESSIVE REPORTED THAT THEY
USE OF FORCE BY HAD BEEN ROBBED 11 (7 boys and 4 girls) who were traveling with families).

854 128
57
POLICE DURING DURING THE PUSHBACK
PUSHBACKS IN MISTREATMENT BY AUTHORITIES  a total of 2 ref- refugees/migrants reported
DIFFERENT COUNTRIES ugees/migrants informed Praxis about beating and that they were robbed
CHILDREN CHILDREN robberies they suffered from police or staff in asylum/ during pushbacks

619 117
reception centers – both in Serbia.

UAMS UAMS

PUSHBACKS BY COUNTRY

92 45 11 5
Hungary → Serbia Romania → Serbia Croatia → BiH Bulgaria → Greece
298 92 5 56
Croatia → Serbia Serbia → N. Macedonia Austria → Hungary Bulgaria → Turkey
75 6 50 178
BiH → Serbia Slovenia → Croatia Greece → Turkey N. Macedonia → Greece
3
Kosovo → Albania

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