Most people see Serbia only as a transit country on their way to the destination countries in the western Europe. However, Serbian legislation does not recognize “transiting through the country” if it is done without proper travel document and visa. This means that you could face legal consequences if you enter Serbian territory illegally and/or stay on the Serbian territory illegally without applying for asylum, which could result with detention or jail sentence. Also, people who are “transiting” through the country have much smaller scope of rights compared to asylum seekers.
Serbian legislation proclaims illegal entry and illegal residency as misdemeanor acts, which means that you can be taken to misdemeanor court and sentenced up to 60 days in jail. In addition, if you are caught by the police, you can be detained up to 180 days in one of the detention centers in Serbia. More about detention in Serbia is listed in the next chapter.
If you do not apply for asylum in Serbia, you will have very limited rights and possibilities.
ACCESS TO THE OFFICIAL CAMPS
Serbian legislation guarantees the right to accommodation only to asylum seekers but, in practice, the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration allows other people into the camps as well. However, this practice is limited only to certain camps and there are no guarantees for how long you will be allowed to stay or if you will be allowed to stay in the camp at all. In practice, camps in Presevo and Sjenica accommodate single men and the camp in Bujanovac accommodates families. The camp in Principovac accommodates unaccompanied minors. The camp in Obrenovac accommodates only asylum seekers, which means that you will not be allowed in this camp unless you are referred there by the police. There is also a camp in Vranje, but it accommodates only refugees from Ukraine.
You can find the locations of these camps bellow:
• Camp in Presevo: maps.app.goo.gl/N6wqUxwVxExQbCPS8
• Camp in Bujanovac: maps.app.goo.gl/Z2puquz9V7nhHfMHA
• Camp in Sjenica: maps.app.goo.gl/PTtWJNVzZBXNDndx7
• Camp in Principovac: maps.app.goo.gl/QD96JcN3xZj2cDfo8
• Camp in Obrenovac: maps.app.goo.gl/mQDZzqrEqLCxCjzd6
If you are allowed into the camp, the camp management will issue you the so called “camp card” but please note that this is NOT AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT and the possession of this card does not guarantee you any rights. The “camp card” is black and white card with your picture and personal information and its purpose is only to ease food distribution and internal logistical matters in the camp. Other state institution, such as the police or hospitals, do not recognize this card as an official document which means that you can still face detention or penalties for illegal residency even if you have this card.
MEDICAL CARE IS LIMITED
However, although you might be allowed into the camp this does not mean that you will have access to all the services and rights, since some of them are reserved only for asylum seekers. The most important issue is that people who are not registered as asylum seekers are NOT entitled to full medical care, but they only have a right to urgent medical care.
Urgent medical care is provided only in emergency centers (Urgentni centar) and only if it is a life-threatening situation. The doctor who is on call at the moment of your arrival to the emergency center estimates if your condition is life-threatening and if you will be treated or not.
Locations of some* of the emergency centers are listed bellow:
• In Belgrade: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nJjoNkFSoRKSpHtz5
• In Pirot (nearest to the Bulgarian border): https://maps.app.goo.gl/kgN5iuhekGu4uMcR9
• In Leskovac (nearest to the Macedonian border): https://maps.app.goo.gl/ncoeDPaGbGbpx1B99
• In Nis (near to the Bulgarian and Macedonian border), one of the biggest hospitals in the country: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VYc7ZCjMuo7urBT98
• In Subotica (near the border with Hungary): https://maps.app.goo.gl/v2DyNSezibEuVQqk9
• In Sremska Mitrovica (near the border with Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina): https://maps.app.goo.gl/n1nqtjrfREZXNXwX7
*Emergency centers exist only in bigger cities and are part of fully operational hospitals. The ones which are listed above are only some of them that are located on the common routes and locations used on the Balkan refugee route. But you can also search for the nearest hospital on the Google map by typing the word “Hospital (Bolnica)”. Medical facilities that are called “Primary health center (Dom zdravlja)” do not have emergency centers and are not equipped to provide urgent medical care so you will not receive medical aid in such facility.
If you, or somebody else, are in need of urgent medical aid, you can also call the ambulance on the number 194 which is available 24/7. However, have in mind that the ambulance vehicle comes to the location only in very exceptional case so you should not rely on them and you should go to the emergency center directly, if possible.
Limited medical care can also be provided in the official camps as well, since some of the camps are visited by the doctor on a weekly basis. However, this doctor is usually general practitioner, with very limited diagnostical possibilities that would allow proper treatment. This is why the “camp doctor” will probably only be able to give you pain killers or vitamins for a cold or a flue. But the “camp doctor” cannot refer you to the hospital for further treatments or tests unless you are an asylum seeker or unless it is an emergency (your life is in danger).
INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS, SQUATS AND THE JUNGLE
Many people in Serbia are residing in informal settlements which are formed in the woods or abandoned buildings near Belgrade or the north borders. These places are also called squats or jungles. These places are often managed by smugglers and their helpers. People choose to stay in these places because they are expecting to continue the journey towards the country of destination as soon as possible and prefer to stay near the northern borders. People who are residing in these places have access to very limited assistance and are often staying in very poor conditions (bad hygiene, no running water, no heat, limited food and water, etc).
Also, people who are staying in these places are invisible to state institutions and organization which makes them vulnerable and they can become victims of exploitation and even human trafficking. If you, or somebody you know, is a victim of human trafficking in Serbia, you should contact the National Center for the Victims Protection at their phone number +381 63 610 590 or 0800 100 388 (both numbers are available 24/7). They can provide safe accommodation and other forms of protection to the victims of human trafficking.
Also, have in mind that the Serbian police is always aware and knows the locations of these places so police officers often visit and destroy these informal settlements in different police actions. People who are caught during the police actions are taken to the official camps in Presevo and Bujanovac or are taken to detention center or before the Misdemeanor court and fined for illegal residency. In the recent months, Serbian police started the practice of keeping people in the police station for several hours (or even days) before taking them to the next location.
Last but not least, if you remain undocumented in Serbia you will be at higher risk to be pushed-back to North Macedonia or Bulgaria by the police. The push-backs are illegal and they are often done without any traces and proofs. Many people have reported that they were pushed back to North Macedonia or Bulgaria by the Serbian police. In some cases, people were staying in the camps or informal settlements for days or weeks, before they were pushed-backs. The only way to protect yourself is to apply for asylum in Serbia.