New Asylum Granted to Persecuted LGBT person

In March 2019, the Republic of Serbia granted asylum in the scope of refugee protection to a gay man from Iran, on the basis of belonging to a social group – LGBT persons. During the six-month asylum procedure, it was found that his fears for life were established due to the systematic violation of human rights for persons belonging to the LGBT community in Iran, and his own personal traumatic experiences. The young Iranian, since entering Serbia, clearly expressed his intentions to stay in the country forever. Serbia was his end destination, while dreaming of the beginning of his new life. After months of uncertainty, he finally received a positive decision that enabled him to stay in Serbia; leaving the asylum center where he was accommodated that same day. APC/CZA's social integration sector will provide him assistance in integration.

However, accessing the territory, and the asylum procedures were not easy. Domestic authorities did not let the young Iranian enter Serbia last August, even though he had expressed his intention to seek asylum, leaving him detained for 4 days. It was only after Asylum Protection Center intervened, that the young Iranian was released and allowed to enter Serbia, where he was issued a registration certificate obligating him to go to the reception center. And yet, this was not the end of his worries and troubles in attempting to approach the asylum procedure. The reception center is not a center where asylum seekers are to be accommodated, and APC lawyers once again, had to urge his re-accommodation to an asylum center and to be allowed to apply for asylum. Attempts to access asylum procedures lasted for an entire month, and in this case, this young asylum seeker would not have been able to successfully access the asylum procedure without the support and representation of our organization. That is, exactly, why our work is important!

Research and Policy Brief on Refugee Protection Policy and Practice - Temporary Protection Mechanism

Author: APC/CZA Photo: APC/CZA

Asylum Protection Center alongside the Center for Public Policy through joint efforts during the past year, have prepared research and a policy brief on the policies and practices in the protection of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Serbia, based on the extensive experiences of Asylum Protection Center in providing assistance to asylum seekers on the field and through the conduction of a series of interviews and focus groups with relevant actors at the central level and the local level. We paid special attention to the challenges and problems that exist in this area regarding issues of protection and legal status of migrants and refugees in Serbia, as well as current policies and existing perspectives. Particular attention was paid to the existing legal provisions relating to the concept of temporary protection whose application was unreasonably absent.

Download the policy document here (SRB) : Policy and practice of protection of refugees - Temporary protection mechanism

Research and policy brief on the education of refugee children in Serbia - the Challenges of Integration

Author: APC/CZA Photo: APC/CZA

Asylum Protection Center alongside the Center for Public Policy through joint efforts during the past year, have prepared research and a policy brief on the policies and practices of educating migrant children, asylum seekers and refugees in Serbia, based on the extensive experiences of Asylum Protection Center in providing assistance to asylum seekers on the field and through the conduction of a series of interviews and focus groups with relevant actors at the central level and the local level. We paid particular attention to the challenges and problems of enrolling migrant children and refugees in primary and secondary schools in Serbia. We looked at existing policies and practices, but also offered possible directions and solutions that should contribute to easier and better inclusion of refugee children in the education system in our country.

Download the policy document here (SRB):  Migration and Education - the challenges of integrating refugee children

Balkan Refugee Trail

Balkan Refugee Trail - A Pathway for European Solidarity

In August 2016, the lead partners InterkulturellesZentrum and AsylkoordinationÖsterreichfrom Austria along with Asylum Protection Center from Serbia, Center for Peace Studies from Croatia,Legis from Macedonia, Greek Council for Refugees from Greece, Legal-informational center for nongovernmental organizations (PIC) from Slovenia, and Hungarian Helsinki Committee from Hungary - have launched the project "Balkan Refugee Trail - A Pathway for European Solidarity." The project was funded by the European Union Europe for Citizens Programme and ran until the end of December 2017.

Background

In 2015, the Balkan route, along with the Mediterranean routes, became the focal point of the refugee movement, especially from the Middle East. More than 850,000 refugees have set off to reach Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria or Germany via the Balkan states of Macedonia and Serbia, depending on the border policy of the respective states. This massive refugee movement, the so-called "refugee crisis", had a significant impact on the domestic policies of many European states and on the EU as a whole: nationalist forces were strengthening and at the same time the impression of increasingly overburdened politics was emerging. New areas of tension have formed in the relations between the EU states, and existing ones have again come to the fore.

Without the spontaneous support of large sections of civil society - NGOs, initiatives and volunteers - in all countries along the Balkan route and the receiving countries, this situation would have been difficult to master. In many of these countries, civil society engagement has become a form of active solidarity, while solidarity and supportive cooperation has been lacking at EU member state level.

The aim of the project was to use these experiences at the level of civil society and to contribute to the formation of European solidarity that meets the current social challenges, seeks cooperative solutions and puts Europe's common future at the center of its efforts.

Central issues of the project were:

How can national and cross-border solidarity experiences at civil society level contribute to the emergence of European solidarity?

How can such solidarity strengthen potential of democracy/policy in our societies and at a pan-European level?

What support does civil society need in order to maintain and expand engagement in this context?

Project activities:

Networking and country research in all seven project partner countries (Hungary, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece and Austria);

Conferencesto bring together the results of each country work, to discuss a concept of "European solidarity" and to coordinate the planning and implementation of joint local activities in the respective partner countries;

Implementation of jointly planned local activities in all local partners’ countries;

Joint project conclusion (Symposium) in Vienna to discuss project results together with relevant stakeholders and civil society and subsequent dissemination of these results.

Useful links:

-         Europe for citizens programme - https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/europe-for-citizens_en 

-        EU Delegation in Serbia - http://europa.rs/ 

-        Asylum Protection Center/Centar za zaštituipomoćtražiocimaazila APC/CZA - http://www.azilsrbija.rs 

-         News about the project activities:

• http://www.apc-cza.org/en/component/content/article/8-vesti/1142-what-holds-the-future-for-europe-s-migration-and-asylum-sharing-best-knowledge-and-eu-practice-on-integration-of-migrants-and-existing-challenges-in-balkan-countries-through-italian-and-austrian-models-and-best-practices.html 
• http://www.apc-cza.org/en/component/content/article/8-vesti/1220-skup-u-becu-izbeglicka-ruta-preko-balkana-i-dalje-funkcionise.html 
• http://www.apc-cza.org/en/component/content/article/8-vesti/1261-panel-diskusija-solidarnost-kao-funkcionalna-sila-demokratije.html 
• http://www.apc-cza.org/en/component/content/article/8-vesti/1239-apc-na-medunarodnoj-konferenciji-u-becu-pod-nazivom-balkanska-izbeglicka-ruta-put-ka-evropskoj-solidarnosti.html 

 Balkan Refugee Trail 

LOVE

LOVE (Law, Order, Values) to migrants/asylum seekers/persons granted asylum in enjoying rights without discrimination

Asylum Protection Center APC/CZA together with the partners-BETA news agency and Public Policy Research Centre, are jointly implementing project LOVE (Law, Order, Values) to migrants/asylum seekers/persons granted asylum in enjoying rights without discrimination founded by the EU Civil Society Facility Programme 2015. The main goal of the project is to enable sustainable protection of migrants/asylum seekers/persons granted asylum (MI/AS/PGA) against discrimination in Serbian local communities and society in general in line with EU values/standards through a number of project activities broadly addressing the provision of direct support to final beneficiaries via Regional Migrant/Asylum info centres and building Network of local volunteering groups for facilitating MI/AS/PGA integration in the domain of legal protection, psychosocial, interaction/integration support in local communities with promotion and improvement of the systemic protection against discrimination of MI/AS/PGA through research, comprehensive advocacy campaign and strong media coverage. During the project’s duration – which is 3 years – Asylum Protection Centre, BETA news agency and Public Policy Research Centre will release a number of policy studies, policy briefs and reports which will be jointly promoted via different advocacy campaigns and tools.This project has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union.

The project contents and realization are the sole responsibility of Asylum Protection Center APC/CZA, BETA news agency and Public Policy Research Centre, and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

Useful links:

-EU Delegation in Serbia - http://europa.rs/

-EuropeAid Cooperation Office - http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm

-Civil Society Facility Programme 2015 - https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChck=1472572570252&do=publi.detPUB&nbPubliList=15&page=1&orderby=upd&searchtype=QS&orderbyad=Desc&aoref=152728&userlanguage=en

-Centar za zaštitu i pomoć tražiocima azila APC/CZA - http://www.azilsrbija.rs

-BETA News Agency - http://beta.rs/

-Public Policy Research Centre - http://www.publicpolicy.rs/

LOVE

LOVE - Pravo, Red, Vrednosti, za migrante/azilante/ljude kojima je dodeljen azil,

u ostvarivanju svojih prava bez diskriminacije

Centar za zaštitu i pomoć tražiocima azila APC/CZA zajedno sa partnerima-novinskom agencijom BETA i Centrom za istraživanje javnih politika, zajednički implementiraju projekat LOVE (zakon, red i vrijednosti) migrantima/azilantima/licima kojima je odobren azil u uživanju prava bez diskriminacije koji je finansijski podržao EU Program za razvoj civilnog društva 2015. Glavni cilj projekta je omogućiti održivu zaštitu migranata/tražilaca azila/lica kojima je odobren azil, protiv diskriminacije u lokalnim zajednicama u Srbiji i društvu uopšte u skladu sa vrednostima/standardima EU, kroz brojne projektne aktivnosti koje se široko bave pružanjem direktne podrške krajnjim korisnicima putem regionalnih informativnih centara migranata/azilanata i izgradnje mreže lokalnih volonterskih grupa za olakšavanje integracije, a sve u domenu pravne zaštite, psihosocijalne, interakcijske/integracijske podrške u lokalnim zajednicama, ali i promocijom i unapređenjem sistemske zaštite od diskriminacije kroz istraživanje, sveobuhvatne kampanje zagovaranja i snažnu medijsku pokrivenost. Tokom trajanja projekta od 3 godine - Centar za zaštitu i pomoć tražiocima azila, novinska agencija BETA i Centar za istraživanje javnih politika, objaviće brojne studije o politici, podneske i izveštaje koji će se zajednički promovisati kroz različite kampanje i alate za zagovaranje. Ovaj projekat je realizovan uz finansijsku pomoć Evropske unije.

Sadržaj i realizacija projekta su isključiva odgovornost Centra za zaštitu i pomoć tražiocima azila APC/CZA, novinske agencije BETA i Centra za istraživanje javnih politika, a ni u kom slučaju se ne može smatrati stavovima Evropske unije.

Korisni linkovi:

-Delegacija Evropske unije u Srbiji- http://europa.rs/

-EuropeAid Cooperation Office - http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm

-Civil Society Facility Programme 2015 - https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?ADSSChck=1472572570252&do=publi.detPUB&nbPubliList=15&page=1&orderby=upd&searchtype=QS&orderbyad=Desc&aoref=152728&userlanguage=en

-Centar za zaštitu i pomoć tražiocima azila APC/CZA - http://www.azilsrbija.rs

-BETA novinska agencija - http://beta.rs/

Centar za azil Divljana - susret sa ženama

APC/CZA tim je u prihvatnom centru Divljana organizovao susret sa ženama, koje su tokom prethodne posete izrazile želju i potrebu za sigurnim prostorom u kojem će moći da izraze svoja osećanja i strahove, kao i da dobiju emotivnu podršku i korisne savete. U ženskoj grupi su se osećale slobodno da se izraze i videle da nisu jedine koje se součavaju sa problemima. Za one kojima je ipak bilo neugodno, organizovano je individualno savetovanje kako bi se izašlo u susret i njihovim potrebama. Žene su na kraju bile raspoložene, zahvalne i rekle da se osećaju samopouzdanije i sigurnije u sebe.

Kreativna radionica u Krnjači – Šta za Vas znači sreća?

U okviru projekta "Engaging with female and children refugees, migrants, asylum seekers passing through Serbia" koji finansira Svetska banka, Centar za zaštitu i pomoć tražiocima azila (APC/CZA) je realizovao 19. aprila 2017 kreativnu radionicu u centru za azil Krnjača u kojoj su učestvovale žene tražioci azila iz Avganistana, Sirije i Pakistana.
Tema koju je APC/CZA tim taj dan obrađivao je sreća i svaka od učesnica je na samom početku podelila sa ostatkom grupe šta je za nju sreća. Neke žene su govorile o životu u Zapadnoj Evropi, druge su pominjale druženje sa porodicom i prijateljima, a bilo je i reči o zemljama porekla i životima koje su davno vodile. Nakon toga, svaka učesnica je dobila papir i četkice kao i tempere te su oslikavale motive koje za njih predstavljaju sreću. Na samom kraju svaka učesnica je ostatku grupe predstavila svoj rad i objasnila zašto se odlučila za određene motive. Učesnica iz Avganistana je rekla da je za nju sreća da postane policajka, jedna od devojaka je pomenula da bi volela da bude astronautkinja i otisne se u svemir. Ostale žene su govorile da su naslikale svoje buduće domove u Nemačkoj i Francuskoj i da je to za njih sreća. Mesto gde će biti sigurne i gde će moći da rade i imaju lep žvot. Sve učesnice su napomenule da bi želele da češće slikaju i da bi volele da obrađujemo i druge teme.
Sitnice koje nas čine srećnim za svakog od nas nose neko drugačije značenje, i ove žene koje su iskusile velike tragedije i životne teškoće uče nas da se radujemo malim stvarima kad god nam se za to pruži mogućnost.

APC Field Network

Održan prvi blok rаdiоnica prеpоznаvаnja i sprеčаvаnja rоdnо zаsnоvаnоg nаsilја zа dеcu tražioce аzila u Banji Koviljači

Prvi blok radionica prepoznavanja i sprečavanja rodno zasnovanog nasilja za decu tražioce azila smeštene u Centru za azil u Banji Koviljači održan je 14. i 15. jula 2015. godine. Radionice realizuju edukatori Viktimološkog društva Srbije, partnera na projektu „Poboljšanje pristupa obrazovanju dece tražilaca azila u Srbiji i prevencija rodno zasnovanog nasilja" koji finansira Evropska unija.

Radionice imaju za cilj podizanje svesti kod dece tražilaca azila o različitim vrstama rodno zasnovanog nasilja, prepoznavanju i metodama prevencije, uzimajući u obzir specifične potrebe i položaj dece tražilaca azila koji proizilazi iz situacije u kojoj se oni nalaze. Posebna pažnja posvećena je suočavanju sa slučajevima rodno zasnovanog nasilje kojima deca tražioci azila mogu biti izložena.

Sadržaj radionica zasnovan je na dugogodišnjem iskustvu eksperata Viktimološkog društva Srbije, kao i na saznanjima prikupljenim tokom istraživanja u okviru projekta „Poboljšanje pristupa obrazovanju dece tražilaca azila u Srbiji i prevencija rodno zasnovanog nasilja".

Na radionicama su učestvovala deca poreklom iz Sirije, Iraka i Somalije. Fotografije sa radionica možete pogledati u galeriji.