Attachments
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Since the start of the new academic year on 03 September, local and central authorities successfully enrolled refugee/migrant children into a second year of public schooling. Consolidated efforts to secure comprehensive enrolment of all refugee/migrant children also resulted in greatly increased enrolment in public pre-schools and institutions of secondary education. According to the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees and Migration (SCRM), so far, 348 (96%) of children between 7-14 were enrolled in elementary schools, 40 (or 79%) of six year olds in state preschool institutions, 107 in kindergartens and 71 (14%) above 14 years of age in secondary schools. A total of 33 elementary schools and 13 secondary schools enrolled refugee, migrant and asylum seeking children country-wide. Authorities increasingly provided school transportation, if needed and in partnership with UNICEF additional Serbian language lessons, while UNHCR and partners added additional language and catch-up classes.
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UNHCR and partners assisted 961 newly arriving refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants, compared to 1,066 during the preceding fortnight. 55% entered Serbia irregularly from fYR Macedonia (down from 73% two weeks ago) and 30% from Bulgaria (up from 16%), while 13% arrived regularly by air (up from 8%). 66% were adult men, 4% adult women and 30% children (incl. 237 Unaccompanied and Separated Children- UASC). Most new arrivals originated from Afghanistan (37%) or Pakistan (37%), followed by Iran (16%), Iraq (4%), and others.
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As a result of continuing high new arrivals, also the presence of new refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants in Serbia continued increasing with 3,877 counted on 16 September, up from 3,682 two weeks ago. 3,343 (i.e. 87%) were accommodated in governmental Reception/Transit (RTC) and asylum centres, over 200 single men in rub halls in Adasevci and Principovac RTCs. Over 500 mainly male refugees/migrants were observed outside the centres: 200 in Belgrade City, another 180 camping close to borders with Croatia or Hungary and up to 150 in Loznica, close to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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UNHCR and partners gathered increasing reports of collective expulsions: 565 from Croatia (up from 277 two weeks ago), followed by 247 from BiH (up from 147), 28 from Hungary (down from 49) and 22 from Romania (up from 20). More than 58% of these reports alleged denial of access to asylum procedures by authorities of these neighbouring countries.
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On 12 September, UNHCR organised a meeting of Multifunctional Teams comprising SCRM, Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social affairs, and NGO partners to discuss and prepare for the upcoming Participatory Assessment (PA) exercise with persons of concern to UNHCR, in line with the age, gender and diversity principles. The PA will focus on the local integration of refugees, persons granted subsidiary protection and asylum-seekers in Serbia.