Source: APC
Photo: APC

 

This year, according to the current law, Serbia cannot extend temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine, nor is it able to emulate and follow the example of the EU, where this issue of temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine will be raised only in 2025, because in the EU temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine lasts until 2025.

Although the technical Government of the Republic of Serbia made a Decision on amending and supplementing the original Decision on providing temporary protection in the Republic of Serbia to displaced persons coming from Ukraine from 2022 (the Decision was published in the “Official Gazette of RS”, No. 21/2024 from 03/15/ 2024, and entered into force on March 16, 2024), the Law on Asylum and Temporary Protection of the Republic of Serbia does not allow the extension of temporary protection for a new one-year period (until March 18, 2025), i.e. for more than two years from the day originally assigned.

In such a legally irregular and uncertain situation, where the decision of the technical Government actually changed the provision of the Law, it is necessary for Serbia, i.e. The Asylum Office to start implementing the asylum procedure for refugees from Ukraine, in a quick procedure without unnecessary hearings, and start granting asylum to refugees from Ukraine who are staying in Serbia.

In that way, Serbia will not only respect its own Law on Asylum and Temporary Protection, but will also set an example for other countries in the region and Europe in which direction to act in providing residence and protection to refugees from Ukraine, and in the light of the continuous war operations in Ukraine, with no prospect of halting in the next reasonable period!

In order to grant asylum to refugees from Ukraine, APC launched an initiative before representatives of institutions and decision-makers, but also started a campaign to raise awareness in the public about this problem and the particularly delicate and uncertain position of refugees from Ukraine, who reside, work, live and integrate successfully into the local environment throughout Serbia.