Source: PRVA

Belgrade, 08 June 2019 – On June 7^th, a young refugee was killed after being stabbed 24 times in Belgrade. Many believe this murder was allegedly an act of revenge for the victim’s complicity in the murder of another refugee that took place only 12 hours earlier. Serbians are upset, especially those who live near the reception centers because they know the refugee wave will begin again. There are many questions but only few answers that can help rationalize this violence. How are we going to resolve these acts of violence that are committed by migrants? Will Serbia become a big migrant collective center? Are these murder cases examples of personal conflicts of larger criminal organizations? Who are the people in Serbia who are waiting for Europe to open its borders? Serbian Refugee Commissioner Vladimir Cucić, Executive Secretary of the National Security Institute Darko Obradović, and Director of the Asylum Protection Center Radoš Đurović, spoke about this topic in “Jutro sa Natašom”.

Đurović said that criminal groups often recruit minors, as they are able to take advantage of their ignorance and specialized needs. He emphasized the importance of minimizing this phenomenon, and pointed to the double murder described above as evidence. The involvement of children in such cruel events is a warning sign for all of us. Asked where a 16-year-old child should be living and whether there is any accommodation center for underage migrants, Đurović said that this is currently a big problem because special accommodation for minors exists, but the places amount of space is limited and most of them are accommodated in collective centers where two minors have already been killed. Đurović continued, describing that it is important to note that the institutions where refugees, especially minors, are placed such as social services or caregivers, should be taking proactive steps in protecting the health and safety of the migrant community. In doing so, they will hopefully prevent similar events from happening.