Refugees in time of Covid-19

On March 15th the state of emergency was declared on the whole territory of the Republic of Serbia due to the outbreak of the virus Covid-19.  The next day the Government adopted a Decision on the temporary limitation of movement that applies to asylum seekers and irregular migrants accommodated both in asylum and transit camps in the Republic of Serbia. The official Government’s Decision actually uses the term “irregular migrants” despite the fact that it doesn’t have any meaning in the legislation and is often used in anti-refugee rhetoric. Limitation of movement within these camps is justified as the prevention of Covid-19 spread although there are still no confirmed cases of Covid-19 among the refugee population. The Decision also proclaims that all asylum and transit camps will be under enhanced surveillance and security measures. In practice, this means that the police and army forces are guarding all of these camps.

The same Decision states that only in “exceptional and justified cases” asylum seekers and “irregular migrants” are allowed to leave the camps with the special permit issued by the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration (KIRS). However, in practice, these permissions are not being issued.

In the days following 15th March, police forces evicted refugee squats across the country and placed all people in asylum or transit camps. All these people are practically detained in these camps without any previous individual decision they could appeal against. Due to the state of emergency and imposed measures service providers, such as local NGOs, are not allowed to enter any of the camps and provide their services. This exclusion of services includes also legal aid and psychosocial services.

Furthermore, despite the fact that the most effective prevention of Covid-19 is physically distancing Serbian accommodation camps are seriously overcrowded. There are currently 9.000 people in camps that have total capacities for only 6.500 people.

Displaced people who are currently in Serbia don’t have access to asylum procedures and protection. Registration of new asylum seekers is not possible due to the Government’s decision to suspend the collection of biometric data which is compulsory during the registration of asylum seekers.

Since the state of emergency has been declared there was a series of reports about excessive use of force by the police and army in the camps, collective expulsions from the territory of Serbia as well as the lack of basic necessities in camps – such as food and clothes. Hopefully, the state of emergency will be revoked by the end of this week, and the limitation of movement for refugees will be lifted which will give us a clear insight into the situation in Serbian camps over the past month and a half.

—- VUK VUCKOVIC