Europe Must Act Newsletter

Northern Serbia: a situation update by Collective Aid

03.03.2023

Dear Readers, 

We hope you got your year off to a good start.

After a brief hiatus, our newsletter is back to keep you up to date and informed on human rights, particularly of those seeking asylum across European borders.

Today, we have a special newsletter, written by Collective Aid, a grassroot NGO currently working in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and France. This organisation is committed to bring dignity and care to refugees and other displaced people, by providing support in meeting their essential material needs.

Last time we covered the situation in Northern Serbia was in our last year September Newsletter, written by No Name Kitchen, an independent movement working alongside the Balkans and the Mediterranean routes to promote humanitarian aid and political action. We therefore asked Collective Aid for an update on the situation, as they have been working in Northern Serbia since 2019, where they have provided essential material aid and hygienic solutions to thousands of people seeking safety in Europe.

Read on to find out more about what they have been up to on the ground.

- EMA Newsletter Team

Since 2022, there has been a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers going through Northern Serbia towards the European Union (EU) as part of the Western Balkan route. In 2023, this route continues to account for the largest number of all the other routes into the EU (i.e., 43% of the total in January) and remains largely unchanged from 2022 levels (i.e., 5% decrease year-on-year), according to Frontex. 

Asylum seekers commonly experience harmful border practices and discriminatory domestic policies while trying to cross the Serbian-Hungarian and Serbian-Romanian borders. In Northern Serbia, a network of grassroot humanitarian organizations bear witness to this violence and discrimination on a daily basis. As such, this network (Collective Aid, Medical Volunteers International, and Construct Solidarity) began publishing bi-monthly Northern Serbia Advocacy Reports to detail field observations and trends in border violence and Serbian state action.

The most recent report presents observations, personal testimonies and an analysis of political developments relating to the situation of people on the move in Northern Serbia from December 2022 to January 2023. In Serbia, a systematic approach of evictions is taking place in the last two months, the capacity of the police has increased and with this the frequency of evictions. The report highlights the physical destruction, psychological violence, and the added difficulty of harsh weather conditions experienced by asylum seekers in this relentless eviction process.Despite these conditions, people haven’t stopped trying to cross into the European Union, nor that border violence has decreased. It is clear from testimonies and medical conversations with people on the move that the practices used by authorities during pushbacks remain violent. Recently, people have reported severe injuries, destruction of property, theft of essential items such as medical crutches, and forced extended exposure to near-freezing temperatures. 

This atmosphere of repression against people on the move in Northern Serbia is reflected in immediate political developments between the European Union and the Western Balkans. The report will further demonstrate how the treatment of people on the move along the Northern Serbian border are dictated by policy decisions being made at a higher governmental level. To access the report and contact the authors, please click here.

New Year, Old Policies

In February, in partnership with other partner organisations, we collaborated with Collective Aid for the “New Year, Old Policies” advocacy campaign. CA’s team in Calais, Sarajevo, Subotica and Belgrade asked the people on the move they met on distributions two questions:

What would you say to the government of Serbia/France/Bosnia and Herzegovina?

What would you say to the government of the country you would like to go to?

The goal is to give voice to the people on the move who are suffering as a result of unfair anti-migration policies and to bring their concerns to the attention of those who are in charge of those policies.

See here how to get involved and support this campaign, by spreading the voices of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.

Our suggestion of the month is a documentary that was part of the 2021 online programme of the London Migration Film Festival, organised by Migration Collective.

The film documents the journey of three humanitarian aid workers along the Balkan Route, from Turkey to Brussels, with the aim of shedding light on the struggles faced by migrants on their journey to Western Europe. 

Diana, Sam, and Felix run a grassroots NGO in Belgrade, Serbia, where they have spent years aiding individuals on the dangerous journey through the Balkan Route. As they travel, they decide to organise festivals that would bring migrants and locals together. "Routes Festivals" are cultural events that promote integration between migrant populations and local communities through music, dance, and workshops.

You can access the Routes documentary here.

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Our Routes to Relocation campaign aims to raise public awareness on the benefits of moving refugees from border areas to welcoming cities and communities where they can more easily integrate. Additionally, we strive to educate local governments and authorities on the opportunities that migration presents and the available resources for supporting welcoming cities.

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