Text: APC  Photo: APC

Obrenovac, June 07, 2019 – Many of the refugees we encountered, taken in the photo, are sleeping in the open around the transit center Obrenovac, being denied shelter, food and health service. They are suffering from stress and anxiety as a consequence of violence, inhuman treatment and illegal push backs they suffered in Croatia and Bosnia before they were expelled to Serbia.

Many confirmed to us that they were not allowed to enter reception center in Obrenovac and shared stories about sporadic practice of camp management to lock refugees, denied them food, hygiene, even water, even to use force to intimidate refugees and maintain harsh discipline among 600-1000 refugees in the Obrenovac camp.

APC/CZA team of legal and psychosocial staff is helping these refugees by providing them legal information and legal advice to understand their legal position, their rights, obligations and possibilities to protect themselves. Our psychologist is counseling same refugees helping them to cope with the actual situation, helping them to regain their strength and self-confidence, trying to get them able to overcome their actual weakness. Our legal staff will assist them to get register in the police station and to get accommodated in another reception centers, helping them to access medical assistance which show to be increasingly difficult due to more restrictive policies taking place regarding migrants and refugees in practice in Serbia.