Types of accommodation

Author

Nikola Kovačević

Both Asylum Centres and Reception Centres are established by Government decision.[1] The work of Asylum Centres and Reception Centres is managed by the CRM.[2]

Persons entering the asylum procedure in Serbia are usually accommodated at one of the 7 asylum centres spread out across the country, but those asylum seekers who can afford to stay at a private residence may do so, should they so desire. These facilities should not be confused with the temporary reception centres that had been set up by the Government throughout 2015 in response to the mass influx of refugees and migrants transiting through Serbia, as they were not foreseen for the housing of persons seeking asylum in Serbia.

One of the issues that remained in 2024 continued to be a lack of profiling and differentiation between those persons with a genuine interest in applying for asylum in Serbia, and those who were in need of a temporary shelter where they would stay before leaving to one of the EU countries. Still, in 2024, most of the registered persons were referred to AC Sjenica. The problem that remains is the fact that the Asylum Office rarely conducted the visit to AC Sjenica for the purpose of asylum interviews. This is one of the reasons why asylum seekers abscond.

Asylum Centres

 There were 6 active Asylum Centres in Serbia in 2024 and one inactive:

Source: Migration Profile of CRM[3]

Only the Asylum Centre in Banja Koviljača is a permanent centre per se; the other centres are ‘temporary’ locations for the housing of asylum seekers. The overall reception capacity of the Asylum Centres according to the CRM is 3,190. However, the capacity of the centres is estimated only by the number of available beds, rather than their overall facilities, including toilets, bathrooms and kitchens.

Temporary reception centres

In the second half of 2015, the Government opened 12 temporary receptions centres in order to provide emergency reception conditions for persons who were irregularly entering Serbia and transiting towards their preferred destination countries in the European Union. The one in Bela Palanka was permanently closed in 2024.

These centres are: Preševo, Bujanovac, Pirot, Dimitrovgrad, Bosilegrad, Šid, Principovac, Adaševci, Sombor, Subotica and Kikinda.

In 2024, the respective capacities of the temporary reception centres were as follows:

Source: Migration Profile of CRM[4]

[1] Article 51(2) and (3) Asylum Act.

[2] Article 51(4) Asylum Act.

[3] Available at: https://kirs.gov.rs/lat/azil/profili-centara.

[4] Available at: https://kirs.gov.rs/lat/azil/profili-centara.