27/04/2021 Belgrade, The Asylum Office of the Republic of Serbia passed a new decision on family reunification in 2021. Unlike the case of family reunification from Afghanistan from last year, when six family members of Afghan citizens came to Serbia, this time there were no border crossings, but a newborn child of the Libyan family. The Libyan family received subsidiary protection in the Republic of Serbia in 2018, and in 2021 they had a child in Serbia who, in accordance with the principle of family unity and the right to family reunification from the Law on Asylum and Temporary Protection, received the same status in the Republic Serbia as well as his parents, subsidiary protection.

On this occasion, Asylum Protection Centar expresses concern over the fact that the process of naturalization of refugees in the Republic of Serbia is disabled due to inconsistencies in the field of asylum, foreigners and citizenship, and that there is no way for asylum seekers to apply. for admission to citizenship and thus acquire the citizenship of the Republic of Serbia. This is due to the fact that persons who have been granted the right to asylum cannot acquire permanent residence in accordance with the Law on Foreigners, because that law does not apply to them, which is a condition for submitting an application for citizenship. The Law on Citizenship does not otherwise regulate the conditions under which persons who have been granted the right to asylum may apply for citizenship of the Republic of Serbia.

On the other hand, the Government has not yet, in accordance with the Law on Asylum and Temporary Protection, passed a bylaw that would prescribe the conditions, manner and procedure for naturalization of persons recognized asylum in the Republic of Serbia, which violates the rights of refugees guaranteed. The 1951 Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.