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Serbia + 10 more

UNHCR Serbia Update, 22 January - 4 February 2018

Attachments

  • The overall number of new refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants remained stable with 4,081 counted in Serbia on 04 February. 95% (or 3,856) were accommodated in 18 governmental centres Of them, 46% originate from Afghanistan, 21% from Pakistan, 12% from Iran, 10% from Iraq, 2% from Syria and 9% from other nationalities, while 55% are men, 15% women and 30% children. The below chart and the January Update of our Joint Assessment of Government Centres refer for more information.

  • Authorities transferred 137 men and boys (and one woman) who had slept rough in abandoned buildings in Belgrade (109 on 22 January and 28 on 02 February) to the Presevo Reception Centre.
    Most were from Syria or Pakistan and had arrived in Serbia only over the past few weeks. While these transfers reduced the number of refugees/migrant men in Belgrade City centre, another 120 were observed sleeping rough near the border to Croatia and Hungary.

  • UNHCR and partners assisted 135 new arrivals (compared to 138 the preceding two weeks). Almost half reportedly entered Serbia from fYRoM, 35% from Bulgaria and 16% by air. 64% were adult men 8% adult women and 27% children (including 16 Unaccompanied or Separated Children - UASC). An increase in arrivals from Syria was noted, comprising almost 40% of new arrivals, followed by those from Afghanistan (18%) and Pakistan (13%). Most Syrian refugees reached Serbia through fYR of Macedonia, with around 30% reporting to have fled Syria within the last six months.

  • Over 90 % of 7-14 year-old children housed in governmental centres continued attending local primary schools, while also secondary school enrolment increased. UNHCR attended the School Day Commemoration at the Primary School in Presevo, which awarded it “Certificate of Appreciation” for assistance provided to this school attended by 32 children from the Presevo RC.

  • UNHCR is grateful to the Government of Sweden for having accepted for resettlement a single refugee woman with two underage sons from Afghanistan, who departed from Serbia to Sweden on 23 January.