BRANKICA JANKOVIC: WE DIDN’T IDENTIFY DISCRIMINATION AGAINST REFUGEES IN PRESEVO

26. June 2015.

Presevo - During her yesterday's visit to Presevo, Brankica Jankovic, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality, didn’t establish that the local population discriminated against refugees who arrived in Serbia from war zones, or that they tried to deceive them in various ways.

“Members of my team and I talked with some thirty out of 200 refugees that were present at the Presevo station yesterday. They claimed that they weren’t discriminated against in any way. On the contrary, they said that the local population helped them, unlike the experiences they had in other countries through which they had passed, "says Brankica Jankovic.

The Commissioner’s four- member team and the Commissioner went to Presevo in order to check on the spot the allegations made by two journalists, whereby the local residents charged migrants a lot for the food and services, which included cabs, accommodation and the copying of documents.

The Commissioner underscored that she only conveyed what she had found out on the spot, adding that she couldn’t claim that there hadn’t been any discrimination over the previous few days or whether there would be any discrimination in the coming period.

“Migrants complain about the slowness of the administration in the police during data- processing. People from the Red Cross do their job very seriously by providing assistance and food to the migrants. Doctors without borders are also there, so that they could provide first medical aid to the migrants, while in emergency cases, people are referred to the local health center, with which they have very good cooperation, "said the Commissioner.

Referring to the local coordinator, she added that donors delivered enough food and other essential supplies, and that the local population was willing to help.

“The police officers that we talked to claimed that they respected the procedures and laws and that they completed everything within the legal deadline. The migrants are mainly from Syria, Iraq and Eritrea. They say they that they only pass through Serbia on their way to Germany, Denmark and Belgium, "said Brankica Jankovic.

The Commissioner and her four-member team visited the future Centre for Refugees, too.

“We found handymen who were working there on the adaptation of the building that will be the reception center“.

During her visit to Presevo, Branakica Jankovic talked with representatives of the Coordination Body for the Municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja and the Commissariat for Refugees.

Source: “Tanjug” news agency, Info N1, New Magazine and Coordination Body