Serbia Facing the Refugee and Migrant Crisis

For good or ill, Serbia has come into the spotlight during the refugee crisis. It has been praised by the international media as a model of good and tolerant policies towards refugees and migrants. In many ways these policies have been shaped by its recent history. However, Serbia has yet to overhaul its asylum system as part of European Union integration requirements and provide durable solutions for any meaningful number of individuals granted asylum on its territory. Practitioners working with refugees and asylum-seekers in Serbia during past years argue that the position of Serbia as a transit country for refugees and migrants cannot be expected to change overnight. They underline that the utter lack of a plan for the integration of persons granted asylum has deterred a significant number of refugees potentially interested in staying in Serbia. The effective closure of the Western Balkan route now leaves the asylum system of Serbia facing an uncertain future.