Committee Chairperson Vesna Rakonjac said that reports on the asylum-seekers/migrants will be discussed on a monthly basis so that the Committee could have a realistic overview of the numbers of asylum-seekers/migrants and their welfare.

Dragana Savic of the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs said that after the meeting of the European Commission and Turkey on 18 March when the Western Balkans route was closed the inflow of migrants has dropped considerably.

“The migrants who were on the territory of the Republic of Serbia at the time the Western Balkans route was closed, about 1500 of them, have since left Serbia, so there were no migrants in the Republic of Serbia by the end of May, however in the last two months there has been a growing trend of illegal migrants crossing over from Bulgaria and Macedonia”, said Savic.

She said that right now in the Horgos border belt there are about 700 migrants, about 300 in Kelebija, and in the reception centre in Subotica about 500 migrants. She announced that the Security Services Coordination Bureau will soon be meeting and on 20 July the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs will organize a meeting to which it will invite representatives of embassies in the Republic of Serbia and international communities.

Emilija Joksic of the Border Police Administration said that the Ministry of Interior has employed numerous measures to prevent illegal border crossings with the help of smugglers, such as the signing of a Memorandum on Cooperation with Republic Public Prosecutor’s Office concerning human smuggling and the establishment of an anti-smuggling task force.

“To prevent illegal border crossing, the police forces have been boosted, permanent security posts have been set up and the depth of the territory has been secured by additional police supervision”, said Joksic.

Vesna Knjeginjic of the Ministry of Health said that the Ministry had been actively involved in the health protection of the migrants and asylum-seekers since the very beginning. She commended the involvement of the non-governmental sector which has been very helpful in assisting the migrants. “So far the Ministry has allocated more than 95 million RSD for the health care of the migrants and completed more than 65 thousand medical screenings”, said Knjeginjic, adding that though the hygiene and epidemiological situation in the north of Serbia, in the zone toward the Hungarian border, has been noted to be risky, it is under control.

Deputy Ombudsman Milos Jankovic suggested that the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Ministry of Health, international organisations and the non-governmental sector should compile a comprehensive report on the migrants coming to Serbia from the neighbouring states and submit it, accompanied by relevant data, to the Committee. “There have been instances where the migrants have suffered abuse by the authorities of neighbouring states and come to the territory of Serbia bearing the consequences of the abuse”, said Jankovic.

UNHCR representative Francesca Bonelli said that the organization is at Serbia’s disposal to assist in helping the migrants and asylum-seekers and is ready to participate in the improvement of housing facilities. She believes it necessary to pass a law on asylum as soon as possible which could be a good example for other countries.

UNICEF Director Michel Saint-Lot thanked all the services for the excellent cooperation, especially the cooperation with civil society. He said that Serbia’s approach to the migrant crisis has been positive compared to other countries. His recommendations concern better access for humanitarian workers to all the reception centres and longer hours for the assistant workers. He said that the health services need to monitor the epidemiological situation, sanitation in the transit zones should be improve and families should be kept together. He also stressed the need to develop political dialogue on the migrant crisis with other countries.

The Committee then went on to set up a Working Group for civic petitions and complaints.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairperson Dr Vesna Rakonjac, and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Milanka Jevtovic Vukojicic, Aleksandra Maletic, Branimir Rancic, Vlado Babic, Ljubica Mrdakovic Todorovic, Dragan Savkic, Josip Broz, Marko Milenkovic, Ljupka Mihajlovska, Tatjana Macura, Gordana Predic, Milena Corilic, Bosko Obradovic, Gorica Gajic, Djordje Kosanic and Enis Imamovic.