Source: Blic TV Photo: Blic TV Video: Blic TV

7 July 2024 – With the adoption of the bylaw regulating refugees passports design and content, conditions were met for issuing these travel IDs for refugees. Aforementioned bylaw was adopted by the end of 2023 and its planned implementation started after 01 February, 2024.

Radoš Đurović from the Asylum Protection Center (APC) explains, that it is important for public to understand, that refugees in Serbia are individuals, who are no longer protected by their own previous country of origin. As said, later persecute them instead and Serbia has now taken over to provide the protection that their states suppose to provide. As Đurović explains, this is the reason why Serbia is now issuing travel documents for refugees, so they can live and travel freely. With Serbian passports, refugees do not acquire Serbian citizenship, but earlier allows refugees to travel, exit, and re-enter Serbia.

Speaking of statistics and as of late April 2024, Đurović stated that tens of refugees, might be able to receive Serbian passports specifically designed for refugees. He emphasizes, that in theory somewhere between 200 and 300 individuals could receive Serbia’s travel document. As explained, this many refugees have been granted asylum status, since the asylum system began operating in Serbia. However, some of these refugees have already left Serbia, so it is not expected that as many of refugees in general will be receiving Serbia’s refugees passports.

With the passport regulation’s entering into the force, APC has initiated and established a practice of assisting refugees in acquiring Serbian passports. Since February 2024, APC has been assisting refugees, that hold asylum status and for longer period of time residing in Serbia. With APC’s legal support being provided and refugees obtaining an asylum status, Serbia’s Department for Foreigners, Ministry of Interior would proceed with collecting refugees’ biometric data and shortly after to issuing the passports.

Same way, refugee called Noe coming from Sudan, received Serbian refugees passport. Noe is APC long-time beneficiary and by the end of April 2024, after 9 years of residing in Serbia, Noe received Serbian travel ID and an opportunity to travel with his own family outside of the country. Meanwhile, while waiting for his legal status to be taken care of, Noe gained tremendously on his other personal life fronts. Noe married women from Serbia and got three year old daugher. While answering question of Blic TV media’s journalist, Noi explained, that he feels great in Serbia and that he waited long time to receive the passport and to finally be able to travel with his family for vacation outside of Serbia and to return to later. As said, he considers Serbia to be his own country now. Noe says that he traveled worlwide, but here in Serbia, he feels people are kind and special. Noe explains, that there is no racial discrimination here in Serbia and that he really feels, same way one should feel like at his/her own home.