REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

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REPUBLIC OF SERBIA READMISSION January
2007
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Readmission in the Republic of Serbia

• EC Serbia Progress Report on Association and
  Stabilization Process for the year of 2006,
  chapter 4.3 Justice, Freedom and Security, 4.3.1
  Visa, Border, Control, Asylum and Migration,
  states basic information on the readmission
  process in Serbia. Serbia has 15 ratified
  agreements on readmission with 17 countries,
  whereas 12 new agreements are currently in
  negotiation process. Out of this number,
  agreements are either signed or are in the
  negotiation process with 20 EU member states,
  whereas they have been signed with all
  neighboring countries of Serbia
• EU Foreign Affairs Ministers have adopted
  mandates for negotiations with Serbia on
  integrated Readmission Agreement in Brussels, on
  November 13th. Linked to this agreement are also
  negotiations on simplified and quicker issuing
  of visas for travel of Serbian citizens to EU
  countries. It is expected that the integrated
  readmission agreement will be drafted and signed
  by the end of March 2007

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Readmission in the Republic of Serbia

• Implementation of the readmission agreements
  commenced after the democratic change in the year
  of 2000, and a number of these agreements have
  been signed during the last political period
• The number of expected denied asylum seekers
  (returnees) that will be returned to the Republic
  of Serbia through readmission agreements is not
  yet fully known. Official data provided in the
  Council of Europes Recommendation No. 1633
  (2003) Forced returns of Roma from the former
  Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including Kosovo,
  to Serbia and Montenegro from CoE member states,
  states that 50.000 to 100.000 of Roma national
  minority are currently on the EU territory,
  without resolved status. These persons are
  included into the returnees category
• According to the European Community Annual
  Progress Report on the Serbian Stabilization and
  Association process for the year of 2005, out of
  6.178 requests for readmission submitted by the
  citizens of former State Union of Serbia and
  Montenegro, 4.350 have been positively resolved.
  These numbers relate to forced return. Realistic
  number of potential returnees is illustrated by
  another fact 21.927 requests for asylum have
  been filed by the citizens of former State Union
  of Serbia and Montenegro in EU countries during
  the year of 2005

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Readmission in the Republic of Serbia

• According to the quoted CoE Recommendation No.
  1633, countries which exile or deport these
  persons should take into consideration the
  situation these persons would face upon returning
  to their originating or transit countries.
  Particularly emphasized is concern that details
  relating to acceptance of returnees are not set
  out by these agreements. Among other things, it
  is stated that any decision on forced return must
  be made with regard to circumstances related to
  particular cases
• As stated by the Recommendation, forced return
  should not be exercised either to Kosovo and
  Metohija or to the Republic of Serbia, until the
  safety conditions in Kosovo and Metohija change
  so as to allow for the return
• In the course of legitimate return
  implementation, these persons also need to be
  provided with legal, financial and other support

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Institutional framework for integration of
returnees in the Republic of Serbia CIR

• The Center for Integration of Returnees (CIR) is
  operating with the Service for Human and Minority
  Rights of the Government of the Republic of
  Serbia. It is financed in cooperation with the
  OSCE Mission in Serbia and the European Agency
  for Reconstruction
• The Center for integration of returnees commenced
  its work in June 2006, based on data received
  from the Readmission Office with the Nikola Tesla
  Airport Belgrade, which is operating as a part
  of the Service for Human and Minority Rights from
  October 2005
• Main issues relating to the returnees integration
  have been stated in the Draft Strategy for
  Reintegration of Returnees, published in
  cooperation with the Regional Initiative MARRI
  South-East European Stability Pact
• The Center for Integration of Returnees is
  functioning on two levels providing direct
  support to returnees (individual cases) and
  initiating the process of creating mechanisms for
  successful integration of returnees, in
  cooperation with line state bodies and
  institutions in the Republic of Serbia

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Center for integration of returnees OBJECTIVES

• Improving status and conditions for
  integration of returnees, based on bilateral
  readmission agreements
• Coordinating strategies and measures taken in
  this area
• Establishing cooperation and network of
  returnees associations, citizens, line
  ministries, local self-governments, embassies,
  international organizations, regional
  initiatives, media, non-governmental sector, and
  the Government of the Republic of Serbia, in
  order to resolve returnees issues
• Providing expert support and dissemination of
  information

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Number of returnees by country of temporary
residence example March 2006. Data of the
office at the Belgrade airport.
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Structure of returnees by originating region
example March 2006. Data of the office at the
Belgrade airport.
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Structure of returnees by gender example March
2006. Data of the office at the Belgrade airport.
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Structure of returnees by age example March
2006. Data of the office at the Belgrade airport.
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Structure of returnees by nationality
(individual returnees) example March 2006.
Data of the office at the Belgrade airport.
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Strategic documents and legislative framework

• Strategic documents
• Draft Strategy for Integration of Returnees
• Draft Strategy for Integration and Empowerment of
  the Roma
• Draft Action Plan for Returnees in the Roma
  Decade
• Poverty Reduction Strategy
• Plan for Implementation of European Partnership
  Priorities
• Republic of Serbias Strategy for EU
• Legislative framework
• Law on Healthcare
• Law on Health Insurance
• Law on Social Care and Securing Social Safety of
  Citizens
• Law on Republic and Administrative Taxes
• Law on Local Self-Government
• Law on Education
• Law on IDs

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Possibility for integration of returnees and
social environment

• Active integration of returnees implies efficient
  state policy, the aim of which is to integrate
  returnees into society in an efficient,
  effective, comprehensive and sustainable manner,
  with full respect to their rights, as well as
  their active inclusion in the development and
  implementation process of strategies and measures
  in this area
• Social environment in which the issue of
  returnees is to be resolved in Serbia is still
  inadequate. The country is faced with
  difficulties in fulfilling needs of the most
  vulnerable and marginalized parts of population.
  One of the consequences of this situation is the
  possibility of the so-called secondary
  displacement

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Possibility for integration of returnees and
social environment

• Recommendations of the Draft Strategy for
  Integration of Returnees
• to establish cooperation between state
  institutions and local self-government in
  providing for returnees, as well as coordination
  of the existing support programs
• to develop structural support programs, with
  inclusion of local population and vulnerable
  groups
• to ensure that institutions are well informed
  about international standards in the area of
  readmission and obligations stemming from this
  process
• to support exchange of best practices of local
  self-government units in areas of cooperation,
  implementation of development projects and easier
  access to public services
• to organize a donors conference for economic
  strengthening and economic, social and cultural
  integration of returnees

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Regional differences and integration of returnees

• One of the main problems in analyzing regional
  differences is that this is a relatively new
  concept, characterized by insufficient data
  available to relevant institutions, particularly
  at the local level
• According to available data, the Raska county
  (Sandzak), municipality of Novi Pazar in
  particular, receive the largest number of
  returnees, mostly from Austria and Germany, with
  the unofficial registered number of 10.000
  returnees
• Recommendations
• to establish database on returnees number and
  structure by municipalities, in order to enable
  harmonization between integration plans and local
  needs
• to strengthen coordinative role of the state in
  the process of returnees integration
• to strengthen capacity of local self-government
  institutions, so as to enable them to respond to
  main returnees issues
• to ensure that integration measures do not create
  inequality between returnees and local population
• to use knowledge and experience gained by
  municipalities which have already received
  significant number of returnees as a basis for
  further development of strategies and measures

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Vulnerable groups in return process

• Returnees social group is not homogenous in
  terms of structure and extensiveness of problems,
  as well as in terms of the need for social
  integration. The following groups are recognized
  as particularly vulnerable
• Victims of human trafficking
• Patients with chronic diseases or other persons
  who require specialized medical help or care
• Disabled persons (including their custodians),
  who depend on availability of the specialized aid
  provision system
• Unaccompanied elderly persons who do not enjoy
  any type of help
• Single mothers
• Children without custody

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Main integration problems

• EDUCATION
• ACCESS TO PERSONAL DOCUMENTATION
• EMPLOYMENT
• SOCIAL AND HEALTH CARE
• ACCOMODATION

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What is a sustainable integration mechanism?

• A set of legal, administrative and practical
  measures taken by state institutions, which have
  a time-line, are precisely defined, harmonized,
  and ensure improvement of returnees
  reintegration into society
• A manual has been prepared for the IDs issuing,
  education, housing, employment, healthcare and
  will be published soon

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Recommendations for regional cooperation

• EU member states signatories to the joint
  readmission agreement should allow for the
  Republic of Serbia to implement the planned
  approach to returnees integration
• EU member states signatories to the joint
  readmission agreement should harmonize strategic
  and development approach to the issue of
  readmission, and allow for the EU resources and
  funds to be utilized in a programmatic manner
• The Republic of Serbia is supporting projects and
  activities in the following areas
• 1) primary or secondary education of returnees,
  including programs for documents translation and
  foreign-degree validation, additional or
  supplement courses in the Serbian language, etc.
• 2) employment, particularly special training
  programs, micro credits for self-employment,
  support to employees, etc.
• Specific needs exist in housing area as well, and
  the EU states - signatories to the joint
  agreement should particularly cooperate in the
  following aspects
• Long-term results, (drafting a Law on Social
  Housing)
• Medium-term results, (improved utilization of
  foster families capacity)
• Short-term results (accommodation in social
  welfare institutions)

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THANK YOU!