Belgrade 22.03.2022. – After the appeal of the Asylum Protection Center and after our address to the media and the professional and general public, Serbian Government passed the Decision on Providing Temporary Protection for Refugees from Ukraine, which entered into force on March 18. 2022.

The launch of the temporary protection mechanism is a very important step for the protection of refugees from Ukraine, because they are leaving legally invisible zone and are becoming visible to our system and institutions. This will enable refugees not only to stay in the country without hindrance, find and get a job, to be examined and receive health care, but also to get opportunity for their children to enroll to school, but also to avoid being victims of discrimination or various abuses.

The same is very important also for those Ukrainian refugees who are on their way to our country because they will now know what they are entitled to in Serbia and what they can expect here, which will help them make the right decision about their future life and stay in Serbia.

In this way, all refugees from Ukraine and their families in Serbia will have the rights guaranteed by law: to stay during the period of 1 year of temporary protection; to receive a document confirming their status; to receive health care; to access labour market; to receive free primary and secondary education; to receive legal aid under the conditions prescribed for asylum seekers; to access collective accommodation in facilities designated for those purposes; to access appropriate accommodation for particularly vulnerable persons.

We are glad that Serbian Government listened to the profession and took into account our appeals and made the decision on temporary protection in a relatively short time after our intervention in media and in public.

The next step is to realize technically, what is guaranteed, in practice, and where the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Asylum Office has a special role, and should start with the registration of refugees from Ukraine as soon as possible.