In solidarity with all people in need.
NGO KlikAktiv - Center for Development of Social Policies in Belgrade, SERBIA.
We are KlikAktiv.
KlikAktiv – Center for Development of Social Policies is non-governmental and non-profit organization from Belgrade, Serbia.
#HumanRights #SocialJustice #FreeLegalAid #RefugeesWelcome #EndHomelessness #Humanity #EqualRightsForAll #LeaveNoOneBehind
Our latest journals
OUT OF SIGHT - PUSHING BEYOND THE LIMITS OF HUMANITY -
Klikaktiv’s report for the period January - March 2024
The report covers the situation on the ground and Klikaktiv’s work in the first three months of 2024 (January - March) including testimonies of people on the move about their experience while residing in Serbia, especially about the practice of increased detention and limited access to asylum system, as well as testimonies about push-backs and police violence on the EU external borders. The report covers the situation on the ground and Klikaktiv’s work in the first three months of 2024 (January - March) including testimonies of people on the move about their experience while residing in Serbia, especially about the practice of increased detention and limited access to asylum system, as well as testimonies about push-backs and police violence on the EU external borders.
Some of the key trends in this period are:
most of the Klikaktiv’s beneficiaries in this period continued to be Syrian and Afghanistan nationals;
most of the people on the move continued their journey from Serbia towards Bosnia and Herzegovina or Croatia, which resulted with increased violence and push-backs on these borders;
the practise of push-backs from the Serbian teritory continues and get significant media attention with the Guardian’s article;
increased number of people on the move reported to be deteined in Serbia.
You can read the full report here
Klikaktiv’s Annual Report for 2023: FROM MIGRATION TO CRIMINALIZATION - GROWING OPPRESSIVE TREATMENT AGAINST PEOPLE ON THE MOVE IN SERBIA
The Annual Report covers main activities of Klikaktiv in 2023, key trends, situation on the ground, testimonies of people on the move and their experiences with violent push-backs and police violence. It also provides analysis of state policies towards people on the move, criminalization of migration and influence of the EU on the Western Balkan.
The key trends that shaped situation for refugees in Serbia in 2023 were:
1. Klikaktiv has been recording an increased number of informal settlements (squats) throughout the entire previous year, as well as an increase of the number of people on the move who were residing in these settlements.
2. Total of 108.828 people on the move were residing in one of the official, state-run camps in Serbia, but only 1.654 of them were registered as asylum seekers and 196 of them actually applied for asylum.
3. Refugees continued to report violent push-backs from the neighboring EU Member States, mostly from Hungary and in the last two months from Croatia. Croatia also deported people on the move back to Serbia by (mis)using the Readmission Agreement and the Protocol between the two countries.
4. Violent push-backs from the Serbian south borders were also reported more frequently as well as chained push-backs. Klikaktiv collected a testimony of a Syrian man who was a vitim of a chained push-back on the Balkan refugee route.
5. Shooting between smuggling groups in Horgos (october 2023) and the police action that followed have changed the situation on the ground, including the accommodation conditions and routes that people used in order to leave Serbia and continue their journey towards western Europe.
You can download the report here:
THE THIRD QUARTERLY REPORT IN 2023 (July, August and September)
The report covers trends observed in the field during our team’s visits to the informal settlements at the EU’s external borders with Serbia during July, August and September 2023, including testimonies and quotes of refugees, as well as the photos of the living conditions. The report also provides information on the context, including important legal framework and political trends regarding migration management in the country. We particularly shed light on push backs to and from Serbia, violence by the Serbian police and deaths of refugees on the route. We also wrote about recent shootings in the northern area of the country and smuggling networks suspected to be behind them.
Some of the key trends identified in the reporting period were:
Majority of all Klikaktiv’s beneficiaries were from: Syria and Afghanistan (94% combined). Most common entry point: Bulgaria (with 40% who entered through North Macedonia in September) Most common attempted exit points: to Hungary and to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Push backs from the EU Member States have continued in the reporting period - majority of which happened from Hungary to Serbia. Push backs by the Serbian police were reported by people on the move on the border with Bulgaria in joint operation with Austrian police, and on the border with North Macedonia together with German police.
Klikaktiv continued to note a significant number of unaccompanied boys in informal settlements in the border area, particularly those younger than 14 years old, mostly from Syria.
Although in smaller numbers compared to refugees from Syria and Afghanistan, we continued to meet Turkish citizens who came to Serbia legally and tried to continue to the EU irregularly.
These trends are further elaborated on in the report, as well as other information and cases from the field.
You can download the full report here.
THE SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT IN 2023 (April, May and June)
The report covers information from the field in the area where Klikaktiv operates: in the informal settlements at EU’s external borders with Serbia. The report includes identified trends, case stories, quotes and photos, with an analysis of the context and developments in the legal framework in the period from April to June 2023. In this quarterly report, we have also described the effects of organized smuggling groups on the situation of refugees in the informal settlements. The report also includes testimonies about violence by the Serbian police, as well as data about presence and conduct of Frontex and foreign police officers in Serbia. There is also a summary of findings from the monitoring visit to the most frequently used entry point to Serbia - its southern border with Bulgaria.
Some of the key trends identified in the reporting period were:
Countries of origin: predominantly Afghanistan and Syria (89% combined), most people on the move entered Serbia through Bulgaria, and tried to leave Serbia to Hungary or Bosnia and Herzegovina. Noticeable increase of children in the border area, particularly unaccompanied boys younger than 14.
Violence by the Serbian police has been increasing, and it includes violent raids, beatings, theft of money.
Klikaktiv recorded an increase in the number of cases where people on the move have been detained in one of the three detention centers in the country.
A new route has been emerging - refugees from Syria leaving Lebanon for Europe.
A slight increase in the number of Turkish citizens who come to Serbia legally due to visa-free regime, and then continue to the EU with a smuggler.
These trends are further elaborated on in the report, as well as other information and cases from the field.
You can download the full report here.
THE FIRST QUARTERLY REPORT IN 2023
(January, February, March)
The Klikaktiv’s first quarterly report in 2023 covers situation of people on the move in the border areas between Serbia and EU members tates during the period of January, February and March.
The report consists detailed descriptions of informal settlements in the border area between Serbia and EU external borders, and important changes in the political and legal context. Also, the key trends elaborated on in the report are:
The majority of Klikaktiv’s beneficiaries come from Syria and Afghanistan (73% combined).
Majority of newly arrived refugees stated they had entered Serbia through Bulgaria.
Most of the people on the move tried to continue their journey from Serbia to Hungary. At the end of March, some started shifting and changing the route via Bosnia and Herzegovina.
For the first time, refugees started reporting systematically violence by the Serbian police in the northern border areas.
To read the full report, you can download it here.
Klikaktiv’s Annual Report for 2022: MORE PEOPLE, MORE POLICE AND LESS SAFETY
The annual report covers the main activities of Klikaktiv, trends and needs observed in the field, legal obstacles for people on the move in Serbia, and legal analysis of EU and Serbia’s migration management policies in 2022.
There is a particular focus on monitoring and documenting violent push backs from the EU member states, as well as presence and participation of foreign police officers and Frontex staff during these practices. The report includes testimonies of refugees who reported increased brutality and humiliation by the border police, as well as detailed description and photos of informal settlements where people on the move sleep rough while in the border area, including their quotes and several cases presentation.
The key trends that shaped situation for refugees in Serbia and 2022 were:
1. Several agencies in the field noted a significant increase in the number of new arrivals via the Balkan route, comparable to the peak of the refugee crises in 2016. The increase of the number of the new arrivals was followed by an increase in the number of informal settlements at the EU external borders with Serbia: from 17 identified squats in 2021 to 31 in 2022.
2. The second most important trend that marked 2022 were mass shootings between the organized criminal groups of smugglers in the northern area of Serbia, followed by police raids and local protests. During the raids, many squats were dismantled and refugees and migrants forcibly transferred to reception centers. Several people from the migrant community were killed during the shootings.
3. According to Klikaktiv’s data, the majority of refugees in Serbia come from Afghanistan and Syria, with the number of Syrian people rising since the summer 2022. The new arrivals from Syria include families and women traveling alone, as well as a significant proportion of young unaccompanied boys (7-14 years old).
4. The trend of violent push backs to Serbia from EU member states also continued, while the brutality of Hungarian police significantly increased, with testimonies of physical violence on women, toddlers, teenage girls and the elderly. Some refugees also reported physical violence at the hands of Frontex in Hungary.
To read the full report, you can download it here.
FORMALIZING PUSHBACKS - The use of readmission agreements in pushback operations at the Serbian - Romanian border
In the report, prepared with the support of ProAsyl, we have analyzed the practice of deporting refugees from Romania to Serbia based on the Readmission Agreement concluded in 2007 between the European Union and Serbia. The aforementioned agreement foresees the possibility of returning third-country nationals from EU Member states to Serbia if it is determined that they entered the territory of the European Union from Serbia.
The application of the Readmission Agreement in order to deport asylum seekers to Serbia represents a formalized push-backs of refugees from the territory of the European Union, since the Readmission Agreement itself stipulates that it must not be applied to persons seeking asylum and which are in need of international protection.
Within the course of our field work, we have collected refugees’ testimonies and official documents from the relevant state authorities, which show that the Romanian authorities are using the Readmission Agreement to avoid their international obligation to decide on asylum requests and grant refugee protection to refugees. Of particular importance is the practice of the Romanian authorities deporting to Serbia asylum seekers who were previously deported to Romania from another EU Member state on the basis of the Dublin agreement. In the report, we presented a case of a S.A. from Syria, who was deported from Austria to Romania on the basis of the Dublin Regulation, only to be immediately deported by the Romanian authorities to Serbia on the basis of the Readmission Agreement.
To read the full report, you can download it here.
WHY I STAYED: Asylum, Integration, and Futures in Serbia Through the Eyes of 13 Refugees
We are excited to share the report Why I Stayed: Asylum, Integration,
and Futures in Serbia Through the Eyes of 13 Refugees, the result of a year-long project undertaken by 2021-2022 Fulbright grantee Zachary Goodwi and sponsored by the NGOs Refugee Aid Serbia and KlikAktiv - Center for Development of Social Policies.
Why I Stayed presents a collection of first-person narratives constructed through a collaborative interviewing and editing process with 13 refugees who have received asylum or are applying for asylum in Serbia. Through these testimonies, refugees express, in their own words, why they left their home countries, why they’ve so far stayed in Serbia, and what challenges and opportunities mark their lives in the country. Bringing these testimonies together, the report offers a cohesive history of the Serbian asylum system, including its intersections with European border violence, Serbia’s EU accession campaign, and the legacy of Yugoslav dissolution and the Non-Aligned Movement.
All participants expressed that the most challenging aspect of life in Serbia is the state’s refusal to issue travel documents or citizenship to asylum grantees. This de facto policy contradicts laws and precedents already in place and maintains refugees’ second-class status in perpetuity. The report argues that a viable path to passports and naturalization for refugees would be the greatest policy change to help fight discrimination and promote refugees’ inclusion.
You can read the full text of the report at the link below. Readers can also find a summary of the main findings of the project and the testimonies at this link.
THE THIRD QUARTERLY REPORT: July, August, September 2022
The Klikaktiv’s third quarterly report in 2022 covers situation of people on the move in the field during the period of July, August and September.
The report consists detailed descriptions of informal settlements in the border area between Serbia and EU external borders, and important changes in the political and legal context. Also, the key trends elaborated on in the report are:
The number of refugees sleeping rough in informal settlements in the border area between Serbia and EU external borders increased, as well as the number of such settlements. During the summer 2022, number of women, toddlers and unaccompanied minors in the border area also increased.
According to Klikaktiv’s data, the majority of refugees in Serbia come from Afghanistan and Syria, with the number of Syrian people rising since the summer 2022.
Majority of new arrivals enter Serbia through Bulgaria (unlike in the previous months when it was mostly through North Macedonia).
The trend of violent push backs to Serbia from EU member states also continued, while the brutality of Hungarian police significantly increased, with testimonies of physical violence on women, toddlers, teenage girls and the elderly. Some refugees also reported physical violence at the hands of Frontex in Hungary.
To read the full report, you can download it here.
THE SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT: April, May, June 2022
The Klikaktiv’s second quarterly report in 2022 covers situation of people on the move in the field during the period of April, May and June.
In the reporting period the increase of people on the move on the Balkan route continued, while the most active border with the EU was the one with Hungary, where several new squats were formed. Refugees also reported increased brutality and physical violence by the Hungarian police. Some also noted the presence of foreign police officers, such as German and Austrian, during the push backs from Hungary to Serbia.
The report also includes important events and actions in the legal framework in the country, detailed description of specific cases from the field and depicts of living conditions in the squats at the EU external borders.
To read the full report, you can download it here.
FENCES: TO BE CONTINUED:
Border fence construction at the Serbian - North Macedonia border (June, 2022)
The focus of the report is the ongoing construction of a fence on the border between Serbia and North Macedonia and information in the report are based on on site observations and interviews that the Klikaktiv team conducted during a field visit in June, 2022.
The report also includes information on refugee activity in the area in general, as well as Frontex presence and activities at the Serbian-Macedonian border.
We particularly highlight how the fence and related practices inhibit the human rights of people on the move in Serbia (especially as related to non-refoulement), their safety, and their access to asylum.
The report is encompassed by the project titled “Monitoring of the Serbian-Macedonian border as the main point of entry for people on the move on the Balkan refugee route”, which Klikaktiv conducted in partnership with Stiftung Do.
To read the full report, you can download it here.
Dobra dela stvaraju heroje!
Dobra dela stvaraju heroje!
Klikaktiv je uvršten među organizacije koje građevinska firma Daibau International podržava preko svoje platforme "Dobra dela stvaraju heroje". Ova platforma promoviše društveno odgovorne projekte a više o njoj možete saznati na ovom linku.
Detaljnije smernice za donacije Klikaktivu iz Srbije nalaze se ovde.
Nijedna donacija nije mala i svaka vrsta podrške pravi razliku!
Hvala na poverenju u naš rad!
Tim Klikaktiva
THE FIRST QUARTERLY REPORT: January, February, March 2022
Klikaktiv’s first quarterly report in 2022 covers situation of people on the move in the field during the period of January, February and March.
In the period an increase of people on the move on the Balkan route was noted, while the majority (70%) of those who were in Serbia came from Afghanistan and Syria. Almost all refugees our team spoke to described incidents of pushbacks to Serbia from the EU external borders, involving physical and psychological violence perpetuated by Hungarian, Croatian and Romanian police, with occasional involvement of the police from Austria and the Czech Republic as well.
The report also includes important events and actions in the legal framework in the country, including the government’s decision to grant temporary protection to refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. The report is concluded with recommendations for improvement of situation of all refugees in Serbia, regardless of their ethnic background.
To read the full report, you can download it here.
STILL ON THE MOVE: SITUATION OF REFUGEES IN SERBIA - Klikaktiv Annual Report 2021
The report provides an overview of the important factors that shaped situation of refugees in Serbia in 2021, as one of the transit countries on the so-called Balkan Route; as well as field insights from the work of the Klikaktiv team in the border areas between Serbia and Croatia, Hungary, Romania and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
We describe everyday life in informal settlements in the border areas, and share recounts of people on the move of violent push backs at the external borders of EU. The report also outlines important legal framework and points to factors that impede access of people on the move to the asylum system in Serbia.
The report is concluded with recommendations for urgent actions needed to ensure better treatment and safety of people on the move in Serbia.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON THE BALKAN REFUGEE ROUTE: ILLEGAL PUSH BACKS FROM ROMANIA TO SERBIA
This report shows the increasing practice of push-backs from Romanian territory back to the territory of Serbia. The report is based on testimonies of 3,700 forcibly expelled people on the move that we interviewed in the field from July 2020 to November 2021.
The report presents various cases of physical violence, threats and humiliation carried out by the Romanian police against refugees. Also, at the end of 2021, refugees reported presence of Frontex officers on the Romanian side of the border.
The report has been supported by our partner organisation PRO ASYL.
Border fence at the Serbian-Macedonian border, 2021
Our team visited the south Serbian border after the announcements that Serbian governments has started to build the border fence on its border with Macedonia.
More information about the situation in the region and pictures of the border fence could be found in the report.
Year of Covid-19 for the people on the
move in Serbia, 2020
Here you can see our report for the year 2020. Among other things, the report pays special attention to the state of emergency regarding the coronavirus and the implications it had on the refugee population, dealing with Serbia's position on the so-called "Balkan route", as well as the growth of right-wing organizations and criminalization of humanitarian work.
KlikAktiv’s report on the situation of refugees in Serbia with legal analysis and field report, 2019
Here you can read the KlikAktiv’s full report on the situation of refugees in Serbia which compiles of general context on the Balkan’s refugee route, Serbian current and planned legal regulations when it comes to the status of the people on the move as well as testimonies on the human rights violations at the EU external borders.
