GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA: THE POLICE AND THE ARMY SHALL JOINTLY “PROTECT THE BORDERS"

19. July 2016.

Belgrade – Under a decision adopted at the session of the Government of the Republic of Serbia two days ago, joint teams of police and army would be sent to the Serbian-Macedonian and Serbian-Bulgarian borders, whose task would be to prevent the illegal entry of migrants and to bring smugglers in human beings to justice.

Such a proposal was made the day earlier by the Bureau for Coordination of Security Services at the meeting that was convened immediately after the attempted military coup in Turkey. Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said then that "we are facing a situation in which persons from Afghanistan and Pakistan have no chance whatsoever of being admitted to the EU, and yet they reached the EU borders by passing through the territory of our country.”

According to Aleksandar Vulin, the Minister of Social Affairs, the teams consisting of members of the army and police would include the Commissioner for Refugees’ interpreters, social workers that would take care of unaccompanied migrant minors and doctors that would take care of migrants’ health. He also said that everyone would be given the legal opportunity to apply for asylum, but that it would be impossible for migrants to move illegally in Serbia.

According to the announcements made by the Government of the Republic of Serbia, only those seeking asylum here would be able to stay at reception centers in Serbia, otherwise they would be removed from the territory of the country.

According to the Commissariat for Refugees’ data, there are currently around 2,800 migrants in Serbia who came to the country by illegally entering it, as the Balkan refugee route was closed this March.

Those not coming from the war-affected areas but from poverty-affected ones don’t have the right to seek asylum in Serbia or Europe and according to Vladimir Cucic, the Commissioner for Refugees, they would, under the Law on Readmission, have to leave Serbia. There are between 300 and 400 such persons.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia also announced a crackdown on smugglers in human beings, who would be heavily sanctioned.

Source: South News and Coordination Body