The information was presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Dr Nebojsa Stefanovic who said that in the first nine months of the year overall crime had dropped by 5.4%. Criminal charges had been filed against 36,601 persons, while the overall crime rate has dropped by 5%. 51.2% of crimes were solved while the amount of drugs seized is several times higher than last year, 1.9 tons of opiates were seized - much higher than in the same period last year, which shows an upward trend, concluded Stefanovic. He also added that criminal offenses against life and body have dropped by 4%, with more than 70% of murders solved, accompanied by a 10% drop in property crime, and 11% fewer car thefts. Stefanovic said that the rate of juvenile crime has dropped by 15.5%, with its participation in overall crime dropping from 6.5 to 6%, a result achieved by the joint forces of all social actors. Speaking of grey economy, Stefanovic said that the results of its suppression are better by one third compared to last year, while the results concerning products on which excise duty is levied, especially tobacco and cigarettes, are twice as good. Public peace and order is stable in view of the fact that in the first nine months 36,140 public gatherings were organised, and as many as 432 unregistered gatherings, while 2,274 cultural events were also held with no disruption of public and peace and order. Speaking of border security, Stefanovic said that the situation is stable and human smuggling has decreased. 1.4% fewer people were killed in traffic accidents - 26,066 in total. Fire fighters intervened in 18,624 instances which also resulted in fewer deaths and injuries. As regards migration, a total of 107,891 migrants were registered in the first nine months, 9,869 of which requested asylum, and 1,786 were processed for illegal entry, added Stefanovic. Serbia is currently home to about 7,000 migrants in the reception centres, with more illegal migrants on route. More than 23,000 people attempts illegal entry into Serbia and 284 charges were filed for human smuggling, but the problem lies in the fact that the organisers of the smuggling are not located in Serbia, they are either at the beginning of the route in Turkey or in the EU countries, therefore the EU will send additional Frontex forces to the Serbia-Bulgaria border to assist the Serbian and Bulgarian police in preventing illegal border crossings, said Stefanovic.

In the ensuing debate, the Committee members and the Minister of the Interior exchanged opinions on the migrant crisis, criminal offenses and misdemeanours committed by migrants, illegal firearms and their legalisation, case of General Dikic, special training of the police force and its readiness, EU funds for the migrants’ stay in Serbia, the Ministry’s activities on identifying the organisers of human trafficking, preparation of amendments to laws aimed at preventing violence against women and children, information about the firearms found in the vicinity of the Prime Minister’s family home, Savamala case and the actions of the police, civil protests, results of the traffic police, murder of the sports fan club leader in Belgrade and declaration of war against the mafia, election of the director of police, structure of the submitted Ministry of the Interior activity information, information on private security and its licencing, the Ministry of the Interior coordination with other agencies of importance for national security, lack of comparison of the results with other quarters, internal control, Ministry of the Interior new work doctrine, the data release affair, engagement of members of the Ministry of the Interior as personal and witness protection, number of police officers in peacekeeping missions, number of suicides among police officers, etc.

After the debate the Committee accepted the Ministry of the Interior activity information for the periods January-March, April-June and July-September 2016, by majority vote.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairperson Marija Obradovic, and was attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Prof.Dr Zoran Dragisic, Marko Blagojevic, Dubravka Filipovski, Bozidar Delic, Dr Vesna Rakonjac, Borislav Kovacevic, Dusko Tarbuk, MA Jasmina Nikolic, Vladan Zagradjanin, Momcilo Mandic, Jasmina Obradovic, Zoran Radojicic and Marko Djurisic.