LOCAL PRESS

Ukraine’s vice PM says her country won’t recognize Kosovo (Beta/Tanjug/B92)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze met in Belgrade on Thursday. They discussed bilateral relations and agreed it was important that the leaderships of Serbia and Ukraine support the territorial integrity of both countries, Tanjug reported, quoting a statement issued by the Serbian government. Vucic said he hoped to see the economic relations enhanced, noting that the volume of trade had increased in 2016, but insufficiently so considering the economic potentials of the two countries. He also noted that efforts must be made to boost tourism, in particular following the introduction of direct Air Serbia flights from Belgrade to Kiev. Vucic and Klympush-Tsintsadze stressed a need for signing a free trade agreement, the statement said. Klympush-Tsintsadze said both countries shared the objective of EU membership, noting the significance of mutual support on the path towards the EU. A business forum to be held in Kiev in October was also discussed at the meeting, the statement said. While in Belgrade, the Ukrainian official will also be received by Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic and parliament speaker Maja Gojkovic. In an interview for TV N1, carried by Beta, Klympush-Tsintsadze said that Ukraine will not recognize Kosovo, but that it supports the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and the forming of the Community of Serb Municipalities. “We are proud of our soldiers in KFOR. They have been there for a long time, and in even more difficult times in the past they guarded the Serb holy places in Kosovo. I hope the Brussels agreement will be a guarantee of better stability and security for all people in that territory, including Serbs,” she said. Klympush-Tsintsadze said that relations between Serbia and Ukraine have not been intensive in previous years but that she hopes for better economic and cultural cooperation, especially after the establishment of Belgrade-Kiev flights. “We plan a business forum of Serbian and Ukrainian businesspeople for October in Kiev. We are all striving toward the EU, we have a broad regional approach, our experiences could serve as examples to one another,” she has been quoted as saying.

Ministerial team within several days; Brussels says it is not interfering (Novosti)

The formal parliamentary procedure for the formation of the government will begin next week, Novosti learns. According to the daily’s information, certain MPs had received informal signals not to leave Belgrade as of next Monday since a session could be scheduled where they would debate laws on ministries and the government, which is a prerequisite for the prime minister designate to present his expose and to elect a new team. Vucic’s closest associates are absolutely certain that the new Serbian government will be formed in the first half of August.

Regarding rumors that the world powers, including the EU, are pressuring the Serbian prime minister for the ministerial composition to be to their liking, the spokesperson of the EU High Representative Maja Kocijancic says: “What pressures? We are eagerly awaiting the formation of the new Serbian government so reforms and our joint work could resume.”

Reconstruction of sanctities in Kosovo and Metohija (Politika)

The return of displaced Serbs and the reconstruction of monasteries and churches in Kosovo and Metohija are among the most important projects of the Serbian government. The sector for cultural heritage and cooperation of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija in cooperation with the Raska-Prizren Eparchy has financed the reconstruction of 11 Serbs sanctities in the province. This year, compared to the previous, these works cover the biggest number of sanctities. Over the attempt of seizing the Serbian cultural and national heritage, the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric has announced that in the resumption of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Brussels they will also discuss the issue of the status of the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church and protection of the cultural heritage. He warns that we are witnesses to the fact that the provincial institutions have been trying to dissolute the legal framework for protecting monasteries and churches, noting that the draft law on the cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija envisages for all Serbian churches and monasteries to be treated as the property of the so-called Republic of Kosovo. Djuric says it is necessary to implement talks on the protection of the Serbian cultural and spiritual heritage in the province and that Serbia has acquainted representatives of the EU, most influential countries on its intention and that they supported it.

Deputy Chiefs of General Staff of Serbia and Bulgaria discuss border security (Beta)

The Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Army of Serbia, General Jovica Draganic, met with Bulgarian General Plamen Atanasov and discussed the current security situation along the Serbian-Bulgarian border and bilateral military cooperation. According to the statement of the Serbian Defense Ministry, during the meeting at the Gradina border crossing near Dimitrovgrad, General Draganic informed General Atanasov about the Serbian government’s decision on the formation and deployment of joint military and police units at the border with Bulgaria. It was added that Draganic also presented information so far, regarding the number of migrants’ attempts at illegally entering Serbia.

Bakir to secretly visit Novi Pazar (Novosti)

B&H Presidency member Bakir Izetbegovic has prepared yet another provocation for Belgrade and potential diplomatic scandal because he plans to attend a convention of Sulejman Ugljanin’s SDA in Novi Pazar on Saturday although he has not informed a single state body of Serbia of this visit. Izetbegovic has practically banned state officials of Serbia from coming to the commemoration in Potocari this year and now he intends to visit Sandzak against all “good neighbor customs and political behavior”. Together with Izetbegovic, Chair of the Council of Ministers (CoM) of B&H Denis Zvizdic will arrive in Novi Pazar too. The daily also reminded that Ugljanin advocates Bosniaks in Sandzak to be granted the status of people and also advocates a broader autonomy for this part of Serbia. Ugljanin even suggested that “this matter must be internationalized” and he proposed that the EU should get included in resolving of this matter.

REGIONAL PRESS

Referendum not directed against Bosniaks (RTRS)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik said that the upcoming referendum on the RS Day, January 9, is not directed against Bosniaks, and stressed that Bakir Izetbegovic and two Bosniaks, members of the B&H Constitutional Court, together with foreigners in this Court, put this issue on the agenda. He said that Bosniaks do not mind to abuse the institution of the Constitutional Court and challenge RS Day, together with foreign judges, but that they feel like victims when Serbs decide to protect themselves using democratic means, namely, a referendum, as the highest form of expression of a will of a people. “This is not directed against Bosniaks. This should not have been put on the agenda in the first place, and if someone put it on the agenda, then they are Bakir Izetbegovic by his appeal and two Muslim judges and foreigners who brought such a decision,” Dodik told RTRS. He stressed that the story of a referendum should not be minimized and added that the laws supported by people have the greatest strength. “The people of RS will support RS Day in a referendum on 25 September,” Dodik has said. Dodik said that the referendum on RS Day is but one in a series of referendums and that it is a result of a struggle of RS that a referendum be recognized in B&H as a democratic means which must not divide a people. He said that there must not be divisions regarding a referendum which is why a clear position of the opposition in RS is being awaited so that when they reach an agreement some other referendum issues could be raised. Dodik said that B&H is a country that in essence is placed wrongly where there is no basic consensus on almost any issue. Dodik said that the issue of holidays is the best proof of it, that the society where certain divisions have constantly simmered cannot take large steps forward and that this is best seen in the constant need by Bosniaks to be the only ones bringing decisions.

Dodik – Ivanov: RS will affirm its right to a referendum (Srna)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik told the Russian Ambassador to B&H Petr Ivantsov that RS and the Serb people will affirm their right to a referendum on RS Day, which will be held on 25 September. Dodik said that RS will publish its own data on the disputed population census. He said that there were speculations in the population census and that positions of RS on this issue are clear, says a press release from the office of the RS President. Dodik and Ivantsov expressed their support to the development of economic projects implemented by RS and Russia. The RS President thanked Russia for its consistent politics.

RS CoP fails to reach agreement on Bosniaks’ request for protection of Vital National Interest (BHT1)

At its Wednesday session, the Republika Srpska (RS) Council of Peoples (CoP) failed to accept a decision of Bosniak Caucus to launch procedure for protection of Vital National Interest (VNI) regarding decision of the RS National Assembly (RSNA) to organize referendum on the RS Day in this entity. Also, the RS CoP failed to reach an agreement on Bosniak Caucus’s veto on the recently adopted RS Law on Processing and Publishing Census Results in the RS. After the session, Deputy Speaker of the RS CoP Kemo Camdzija said that the RSNA’s decision to organize the referendum on the RS Day is illegal, underlining that the referendum organized on territory of one entity can deal with issues like entity’s borderline and problems local communities have been facing. Camdzija also added that even in case this referendum is held, it will have no effect. On the other hand, MP in the RSNA Darko Banjac compared the referendum in the RS with referendums in the Europe. Among other things, he underlined that results of the referendum will enable the RS not to implement B&H Constitutional Court’s decision on the RS Day “because there is no political instance in the EU to force entity the RS or citizens to accept something they voted against in the referendum.” As for the RS Law on Processing and Publishing Results of the Census in the RS, Bosniak representatives stated that authorities of entity have no competence for this phase of 2013 Census data processing and that they deny constitutional competences of B&H. Speaker of the RS CoP Nada Tesanovic said that a joint commission of the RSNA and the RS CoP will discuss the aforementioned issues at a session scheduled for Thursday. “In case no agreement is reached then, the RS Constitutional Court will be deciding about it”, explained Tesanovic. Also, Bosniak Caucus called on representatives of the international community to continue monitoring this situation.

Video of Serbian flag set on fire sparks fierce reactions in RS and Serbia (RTRS)

The video that shows two men wearing uniforms and masks, carrying guns and setting the flag of Serbia on fire while standing next to the flag of the “so-called” Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A song calling for jihad can also be heard in the video. The video has sparked fierce reactions in the RS and Serbia. The Republika Srpska (RS) Ministry of Interior (MoI) and the Serbian MoI are already investigating this case. The RS Minister of Interior Dragan Lukac announced that the RS MoI will do its best to get to the information on who uploaded such video on the internet. Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) Perica Stanic told reporters that SIPA is working in line with its competences, in cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H, in order to determine where and when the video was recorded. RS President Milorad Dodik stressed that setting the flag of Serbia on fire actually advocates Islamic State (IS), while the institutions of B&H are not doing anything about it. “It is no secret that there are employees of the joint institutions who can already be identified with certain groups of radical Islam, such as Wahhabis and others. They are walking around the ministries in the joint institutions and there is no adequate reaction to this issue,” Dodik explained. The SP RS leader Petar Djokic assessed that setting the flag of Serbia on fire is a clear proof of hatred towards the Serb people. “If such acts are not investigated and if responsible persons are not punished, it will all happen again, but in a more severe form,” Djokic underlined. According to analysts, the video was certainly recorded in B&H, but security services are hardly observing those who returned from the battlefield in Syria or training centers of the Wahhabi movement. Security expert Predrag Ceranic warned that the video could have been recorded at any of the para-jamaats that refused to join the Islamic Community in B&H. He added that such video can be perceived as a call for jihad involving those who returned from the battlefield in Syria. The Official Belgrade assessed this as provocation and insult and requested Sarajevo to conduct investigation.

New coalition formed – Franak, former Bridge members and Human Shield (Hina)

The Franak association of citizens with loans pegged to the Swiss franc, three former members of the Bridge Party who set up their own party Change Croatia, and the Human Shield party on Wednesday told a press conference that they would run jointly in the coming parliamentary election set for September. “We are heading toward victory and there will not be any coalition with the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) or SDP (Social Democratic Party) or Bridge,” Human Shield chief Ivan Vilibor Sincic told the conference. A coalition agreement has been signed but it has not been named yet and more will be known in the next few days when the coalition completes it platform. The coalition will finance its campaign with donations and expect that that will be in the amount of about HRK 500,000. Former Bridge member Ivan Lovrinovic claims that the new coalition will not have any chiefs and that this is a partnership. “This is a project. We are all the same here. We are connected by a programme and the only chief will be they who vote for us,” Lovrinovic said. Goran Aleksic of the Franak association said that one of the political goals was to compensate loan holders who in the conversion of their loans paid for unlawfully increased interest rates, to prevent distress orders on a single real estate in which debtors reside, to adopt a law on consumer housing mortgages, to amend the Law on the HNB (Croatian National Bank) to introduce civil monitoring on that institution. Sincic announced that the coalition would fight against banks, bad laws, bad judiciary and corruption.

Croatia to hold EU presidency in first half of 2020 (Hina)

Croatia will hold the rotating presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2020, the Council of the EU decided on Tuesday. After the United Kingdom voted at a referendum last month to leave the bloc, its government has decided to relinquish the EU presidency which it was due to assume in the second half of 2017. Following the UK decision, the Council decided to bring forward by six months the order of presidencies, starting from 1 July 2017. Instead of the UK, the rotating presidency in the second half of next year will be assumed by Estonia, whose presidency was initially scheduled for the first half of 2018. Estonia will be followed by Bulgaria and Austria, which will hold the presidency in the first and second half of 2018 respectively. Romania and Finland will be EU presidents in 2019. According to the previous schedule, Croatia, which joined the EU on 1 July 2013, was to hold the presidency in the second half of 2026. Croatia will now assume the presidency six and a half years earlier than originally planned and six and a half years after joining the bloc. The new decision established the order in which the member states will hold the presidency of the Council of the EU until 2030.

Elections will be monitored by 35 representatives of the Council of Europe (Dnevne novine)

Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe accepted the invitation from the president of the parliament Darko Pajovic to monitor parliamentary elections which will be held in Montenegro on 16th of October, and formed a team of 35 people which will be in charge of this, it was confirmed to Dnevne newspaper from this European institution. Bureau of the Parliament of the Council of Europe decided on the session held on 24 June, to form a delegation that will monitor elections in Montenegro. The head of this delegation will be Joseph O’Reilly, and committee that will follow elections in our country will consist of members from several European parties. From the Council of Europe was told to Dnevne novine daily that this decision is final and that the president of the Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe Pedro Agramunt will notify Pajovic of this very soon. Pajovic recently invited representatives of the Parliamentary assembly of the OSCE, ODIHR and the Council of Europe to monitor the parliamentary elections in Montenegro scheduled for 16th of October. “Transparent, free and fair elections in accordance with international standards and best democratic practices in Europe are of extreme importance to Montenegro,” said Pajovic then. General Secretary of OSCE Lamberto Zannier confirmed during his recent visit to Montenegro that this organization too will be actively involved in monitoring the elections in Montenegro. Zannier said that OSCE will continue to support democratic processes in Montenegro and said that they will positively respond to the request for monitoring Montenegrin elections. He said that it seems that political crisis in our country is finished and that the elections will be the new beginning which he hopes will be responsibly accepted by everyone.

Krivokapic: Agreement is broken (RTCG)

The Agreement on free and fair elections has been broken, and the opposition must find a way to punish the Prime Minister by leaving the government, said leader of SDP, Ranko Krivokapic. Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said that he is not concerned by the announcements of opposition three that he will be at fault if they leave the government over dispute with contract with A2A. He said that the government must not allow that its important decision be paralyzed. He said that this matter does not require a consensus in the government of electoral trust. Krivokapic said that Djukanovic deceived SDP, Demos and URA, as well as international community who have helped write the Agreement. Breaking it will have consequences for the Prime Minister and the state. “The Agreement has been broken because the Prime Minister wants to avoid control. We must find a way to leave the Government and punish the Prime Minister for breaking the Agreement,” Krivokapic said during his visit to Bijelo Polje, RTCG reports. He said that in 2009, SDP fought against the option that would have the state sell EPCG and be left without it. “Back then, SDP made a condition to DPS to protect state interests and open the possibility of the state buying the shares later. Unfortunately, today as in 2009, they are trying to sell EPCG again. This is detrimental for the state, as is failing to respect the Agreement,” Krivokapic said. He invited the Prime Minister to re-read the Agreement he signed. Krivokapic would not want to see Prime Minister’s signature be taken lightly. “I am personally interested in seeing Montenegro have a Prime Minister whose signature would mean something. It is clear that our agreement states that important decision must have a consensus. If what they claim in the government is true, of which we have serious doubts, SDP, URA and Demos will sign the contract that enables EPCG to be returned to the state for the amount of 250 million EUR in seven rates. Unfortunately, that is only a veil over citizens’ eyes, while they are preparing to sell EPCG to someone else, destroying the contract that protects us and creating a new one that denies everything good done in 2009”, leader of SDP said. Back in 2009, DPS backed down, and state interests were protected. He wondered what would have happened if EPCG went into the hands of foreigners and we were in a situation to buy electricity from foreign sources.

Ultimatum: URA asking Demos and SDP to exit the government (Dnevne novine)

Civic movement URA notified Social-Democratic party and Demos on Tuesday night, that if the ruling coalition votes differently from them in the Parliament regarding Electric Power Company of Montenegro and laws on media, they will decide to leave the government, it was said to DN from civic movement URAA. High official from URA Nedjeljko Rudovic said for Dnevne newspaper that URA will have an urgent meeting of the Central board if the voting in the Parliament is non-unanimous, where they will propose the exit from the Government of electoral trust. “On Tuesday evening we notified Demos and SDP that URA will leave the government if the voting in the Parliament goes as it’s been announced, because that would mean brutal disregard of the Agreement and mocking the citizens of Montenegro who are looking for a civilized exit from political crisis. Our position is clear, URA insists on exiting the government,” said Rudovic to Dnevne novine daily. President of Social-Democratic party Ranko Krivokapic has a similar opinion too, because as he said the Agreement on free and fair elections has been undermined and that opposition ‘troika’ needs to find a way to punish the prime minister by exiting the government because not respecting the agreement. „The agreement is annihilated because the prime minister wants to avoid control. We have to find a way to punish the prime minister for annihilation of the agreement,” said Krivokapic during his visit in Bijelo Polje.

Macedonia: After party agreement, parliament to vote on legal amendments (Telegraf.mk)

There are no more obstacles standing in the way of elections. During the last round of negotiations, the party work groups regulated the last point of the 20 July agreement, which is on media and election coverage. All that was agreed upon in the 20 July agreement, including several amendments to the Law on government and the Electoral Code, will now have to be passed by MPs at session in parliament. In line with the deadline, the session will have to take place this week. If the amendments are passed by Friday, then this allows for a leader meeting to take place, at which the leaders of the 4 biggest parties VMRO-DPMNE, SDSM, DUI and DPA will confirm that all election conditions are met and that they should be held 11 December. 100 days before elections, a government, which includes opposition members, in line with the Law on Government, will have to be established. After hours of negotiations, Nikola Todorov, Radmila Sekerinska, Artan Grubi and Imer Aliu, stipulated the terms for the establishment and operation of the ad hoc assembly, which is supposed to institute media directions included in the Electoral Code. This assembly will operate until the end of the electoral process. It will be comprised of 5 members, 4 of which will be instituted by the parties and the fifth member will be elected by the members themselves. The assembly’s goal will be to monitor whether the media have a balanced coverage of elections, if journalist standards are respected and whether hate speech is present in the coverage. In regards to the Law on government, the mandate of the ministers and the additional deputy ministers will have to be limited, i.e. they will have to step down as soon as the State Election Commission puts forth the first official results. This was one of VMRO-DPMNE’s main requests at negotiations, and it was aimed at preventing the prolongation of the ministers’ function until the establishment of the new government, which can last up to 60 days. According to these amendments, the deputy ministers take over the responsibilities from the end of elections until the establishment of the new government. Also, the authority of the Interior Minister will be reduced to him being able to make only 15 staff changes, and the last amendments to the Law on Interior Ministry and police will come into effect on January 2017.

Ivanov: Macedonian institutions ready for possible second migrant wave (MIA)

Macedonian President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Gjorge Ivanov, accompanied by Chief of the Macedonian Army (ARM) General Staff, Lieutenant¬-General Metodija Velickovski, visited Wednesday troops deployed on the country’s south border with Greece. He said the country’s security forces were prepared to face an expected second migrant surge. “Even though the Balkan route was shut down several months ago, the Army has registered an increasing number of illegal crossings of the state border and cases of migrant smuggling. The Army and the police have thwarted 18,000 illegal crossings,” Ivanov stated. The number of attempts to cut through Macedonia’s protective border fence is also on the rise. “Close to 700 attempts to damage the fence have been recorded so far. This means that even though the Balkan route is closed, many migrants, refugees and economic migrants are trying to cut through our protective fence making their way into the country and to activate the corridor, which is closed,” Ivanov added. We must give, he noted, all soldiers and officers credit for successfully addressing all the challenges. We also have to give all police officers and crisis management officials credit, all those who are recruited to monitor the situation every day and brief all relevant institutions about any developments as regards illegal migration. All the warnings given by Macedonia in the past that the Balkan migrant corridor is being used also by terrorist fighters, have been confirmed, Ivanov underscored. “All of our warnings have been confirmed. Acts of violence, terrorist attacks are being performed almost on daily basis across Europe. Nearly 500 people across the EU have been killed lately in crimes committed by those arriving from the Middle East, battlefields, and who have managed to come to EU member countries using the migrant wave in 2015 and in early 2016,” Ivanov elaborated. Asked whether Macedonia should boost border control by following the example of Serbia and Bulgaria, President Ivanov said the number of army and police servicemen deployed on the south border was sufficient. If need be, he added, the number of troops is going to be strengthened. “During this period, we need the army to be rested. We need the army in case of an incoming second migrant wave to be prepared to deal with all the challenges like the last time,” said the Macedonian President. Reportedly 1,000 foreign fighters from the Balkans have joined IS in Syria. 60% of those have returned to their home countries. “Having in mind this fact, our region is a possible target for terrorist acts.” “Therefore, all the efforts made by the army and police forces deployed to assist the military are very beneficial for the countries both in the Balkans and in Europe,” he stated adding Macedonian services were closely monitoring foreign fighters who had returned home. “86 people are believed to have returned to Macedonia. Some of them have been arrested while others are being monitored,” the President said praising the services for successfully dealing with this matter.

Answering a journalist question, Ivanov reiterated that institutions in Macedonia were following developments and were doing their best. “Our intelligence services, the police and the army are following closely recent developments and are informing us… Others are learning from us how to take measures because what we have done served as a model on how to tackle the looming challenge. This (migrant flows) won’t stop neither this year nor the next year. We (Macedonia) are part of one of the key routes and we have to protect our territory and reach decision on our own,” stressed Ivanov. Unfortunately, he noted, we are left to our own devices to make decisions. “The army is taking measures by itself by adjusting to every emerging situation. We are cooperating with the countries along the route which are assisting and supporting us. However, it is still necessary the EU to allocate everything it has pledged to award, i.e. biometric data equipment and thermal camera, etc., in order Macedonia to better control the border. The army is spending money from the country’s budget, it has received no assistance yet. In addition to everything that is happening in the country, in spite of the political crisis, we have showed how a country should handle this challenge,” concluded President Ivanov.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Migrants stranded in Serbian no-man’s land (DW, 28 July 2016)

Migrants and refugees stranded in Serbia have gone on a hunger strike near the Hungarian border in protest against closed borders and EU restrictions. Lidija Tomic reports from the border.

In recent weeks, nearly 3,000 migrants, mostly from Afghanistan and Pakistan, have been stuck in a legal limbo all across Serbia. Their number is growing constantly since Hungary tightened its rules for asylum-seekers and decided to push back all those caught within eight kilometers of the border. Out of sheer desperation some have gone on a hunger strike to draw attention to their plight. “We will sit here and drink only water to show the desperate situation we are facing in. We are not criminals. We are all here because we have lots of problems in our own countries,” one refugee, who recently arrived at the check point in Horgos, told DW. Budapest has deployed 10,000 police and army forces along the fence and limited the number of daily admissions to a maximum of 30, leaving hundreds of migrants stranded in the transit zone between the two countries.

Not a parking lot for migrants

Faced with a pileup of migrants, Belgrade decided last week to launch joint police and army patrols to protect its borders with Bulgaria and Macedonia from illegal immigrants and smugglers. “Serbia cannot be a parking lot for Afghans and Pakistani whom no one else in Europe wishes to accept,” Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic said. “New procedures will be implemented without using force and erecting border fences,” Vucic said, stressing that human smugglers will be punished most severely. The failed military coup attempt in Turkey has raised fears over security given Ankara’s role in helping to seal off the Balkan route. Rados Djurovic, executive director of the Serbian Asylum Protection Center, said that the current situation in Serbia is manageable but could spiral out of control if more migrants remain stuck in the country. “The Turkish government has taken control, so unexpected changes shouldn’t happen. But if Ankara would let a larger number of migrants out, it will be seen in Serbia immediately,” Djurovic told DW. According to Djurovic, Serbia’s main problem is the lack of capacities – both in human resources and material. If the situation changes and a majority of migrants seek asylum, then the main issue will be how to speed up the procedures. “About 100-200 migrants enter Serbia every day. In the same time, only 15-30 leave the country. It means that we should expect more migrants stranded here”, he said, adding that Serbia could quickly become a buffer zone.

Stuck in limbo

Public parks and the Mikseliste help center near the bus station in Belgrade are currently home to hundreds of migrants. An additional 2,000 are stuck in camps along the Serbian-Hungarian border. Upon arrival in Subotica, they were split in two groups, each heading to a different transit zone. Afghans made their way to Horgos check point, while Syrians and Iraqis headed to Kelebija.

Serbia: Camp of the hopeless

After applying for a legal entry into Hungary, some, due to bad weather and dire conditions in makeshift camps, returned to a temporary collective center in Subotica. Among them was Ibrahim Fariri, 27-year-old Iraqi, his wife and their 10-month-old daughter. They were drying their wet clothes on a small electric heater at the bus station and waiting to unite with a family they were traveling with. “We were separated and reunited several times since we left our village in February. Those were the moments of despair and happiness that we’ve been through,” Ibrahim told DW. “While crossing the Serbian-Bulgarian border, we lost our friend’s 4-year-old son. We were walking quietly through the woods during the night. At sunrise we realized that he was missing, and after searching the whole morning, we found him hiding in a bush. We were very lucky.” But the conditions in the camps are gradually getting worse.

Pressure grows as Hungary gets tough

“All three camps are severely overcrowded, living conditions are filthy and basic shelter is in a short supply. Hygiene conditions are far from acceptable. There are few toilets and no bathrooms in the improvized camps. The only water tap is mobbed by people trying to wash and do the laundry”, 26-year-old Fardin Ahmadi told DW. “Serbian authorities along with the aid organizations do their best to prevent the humanitarian crisis. But it’s not that simple. Just in a few days we faced extreme summer heat, and now we are freezing. I will use the current situation and try to cross the border near Kelebija check point illegally with my friend tonight. If we don’t succeed, we will wait for our turn to enter Hungary legally”. Fardin passed the Balkan route last year and arrived safely in Germany, but left shortly after he received a call from his mother. “I felt as I had betrayed her. I left her alone in Baghdad. But as soon as I came back home, I changed my mind and started a new journey to the EU with my best friend”. They easily crossed the Turkish border and then paid 5,000 euros to a smuggler they met in Istanbul to get them to Germany again, but only made it to Serbia. “Some of our compatriots have already tried to sneak across the border. They walked for about 30 minutes until the police caught them. Hungarian officers have beat them and pushed them back to Serbia the same night. But they told me where their smuggler cut the fence”, he said.

Violence and abuse

According to Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC), more than 2,000 potential asylum-seekers have been denied access to Hungary. The NGO has been receiving a growing number of reports about serious abuses against migrants in the transit border zones with Serbia. “The violence and the push-backs are indiscriminate, children and separated children also fall victim of it. The HHC has talked to three 16-17-year-old Afghan asylum seekers who told us they were beaten and tear-gassed by uniformed men at the border and that dogs were released on them. One of the boys had been bitten by the dog on his nose, traces of which were still visible 10 days after the incident”, Aniko Bakonyi, project manager at the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, told DW. She said that Hungary is obliged to provide access to its territory and the asylum procedure for asylum seekers under EU law and the Geneva Convention on Refugees. “The most recent amendment that came into force on July 5 contradicts Hungary’s international obligations. It shows that all the measures taken by the Hungarian government during the past year – legal amendments or building of a physical barrier – have failed to stop the flow of asylum seekers to Hungary and now all the government has are extra-judicial means,” Bakonyi said.