Safety risks at the informal settlements in the border area
In light of recent events of violent armed clashes between some people on the move, presumably smugglers, in the northern area of Serbia, the Klikaktiv team would like to provide information from our experience in the field which can help understand the context and the complexity of situation of refugees staying in informal settlements (squats) in the northern border area between Serbia and EU countries.
Risks for people on the move: First and foremost, it is important to make clear that the group that faces the most severe consequences for their physical and mental health, and safety are refugees, migrants and asylum seekers who sleep rough in the squats. The most common health risks are: scabies and related complications due to infection, broken limbs (due to border police violence or attempts to jump over a fence at the border), diseases that stem from the use of unsafe water (due to no access to drinking water). Secondly, almost every person on the move we have spoken to in the field has reported several incidents of physical violence, extortion or degrading treatment by EU member states’ border police. Lastly, what remains mostly invisible are risks of violence and exploitation perpetrated by smugglers: physical and psychological violence, sexual exploitation, trafficking in human beings, gender based violence. In the ongoing public and media narrative of “migrants wars” it is important to remember that regular refugees and migrants are not perpetrators of these violent incidents, but are actually the most common victims of the same people who engaged in these violent acts, yet they are afraid to report the violence and often remain without proper support.
Risks for humanitarian workers, activists and volunteers: With ongoing efforts to criminalize solidarity, the operational space for civil society organizations, informal volunteer groups and independent researchers is constantly shrinking. The local police has previously targeted people providing aid in the squats, with various responses that serve to communicate that humanitarian work in the area is not welcome. Secondly, local supporters of right wing groups have previously tried to limit access to squats to humanitarian organisations, and some have also shared hate speech online.
Risks for local communities: Even though the general narrative is such to suggest the migrants are a threat to the local communities, we believe the real threat lies with right wing groups who conduct “civil arrests” of people on the move, share fake news and threaten refugees and those who help them, without being held accountable by the authorities. We believe that the state should not allow any citizens to limit freedom of others and endanger their human rights. In that regard, we hope that the state authorities will investigate recent violent clashes and bring those responsible to justice, in order to ensure safety of local communities and other refugees alike.
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This field report is prepared within the Project "Protecting Civic Space – Regional Civil Society Development Hub" financed by Sida and implemented by BCSDN".
The content of this document, and the information and views presented do not represent the official positions and opinions of Sida and BCSDN. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in this document lies entirely with the author.