NEW PAVILION FOR THE ACCOMMODATION OF MIGRANTS OPENED

17. February 2016.

Presevo - Nebojsa Stefanovic , the Interior Minister, Aleksandar Vulin , the Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, and Arne Bjornstad Sanes, the Norwegian Ambassador to Serbia, opened, at the Reception Center in Presevo, two new pavilions for the temporary accommodation of 350 migrant families, the children's corner for mothers with children, and a new infirmary

Arne Bjornstad Sanes, the Norwegian Ambassador to Serbia, whose country has, so far, donated around seven million euros to help Serbia deal with the issue of migrants, said that he was extremely pleased with the way in which Serbia treated the refugees.

“I'm impressed by what I saw today and by what Serbia is doing to make the life of refugees easier. Serbia has done a lot and is doing a great deal to help the refugees and we will continue to cooperate with it, since the thus-far cooperation has been excellent, "said the Norwegian Ambassador.

Minister Vulin reiterated that Norway had, until then, donated three million euros for the renovation of facilities for the accommodation of migrants, as well as four more million euros in direct aid to refugees.

“In addition to providing better conditions for the migrants, we want the locals to realize that the migrants are no threat to them, but that they could benefit from them. The renovated facilities will remain in Presevo. The credit cards given to migrants are used in Presevo. Serbia expects that it will receive financial assistance this year, too, and that it will be around 20 million euros,” Minister Vulin said.
Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic reiterated that Serbia wouldn’t put up fences and that it was in favor of all countries agreeing on a common solution for the migrant crisis.

He underscored that Serbia adhered to what other countries were doing.

He explained that Serbia would return the migrants to Macedonia if Croatia started to bring migrants back to us during the process of readmission.

Representatives of the UNHCR announced that the organization would continue to assist Serbia as long as the migrant crisis lasted and that it would donate, in 2016, around 12 million euros for the cause. According to the UNHCR’s spokesperson Francesca Bonelli, the third phase of renovation of the facilities for another 650 persons would soon begin at the Reception Center in Presevo, which would cost 740,000 dollars.

Upon completion of the pavilions, it will be possible to temporarily accommodate some 1,500 migrants at the Reception Centre in Presevo.

Source: “Tanjug” news agency and Coordination Body