Conducting theConducting thevisa liberalization visa liberalization agreement agreement

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General Nenad BanoviGeneral Nenad Banovićć

Head of the Border Police Head of the Border Police DirectorateDirectorate

Measures taken in order to Measures taken in order to maintain the visa-free travel maintain the visa-free travel regime with the EU regime with the EU

The Government, on March 7The Government, on March 7thth 2013, 2013, established the Commission for Monitoring established the Commission for Monitoring the Visa-free Travel Regime with the EU for a the Visa-free Travel Regime with the EU for a new two-year term of office;new two-year term of office;

The measures taken by the Government, the The measures taken by the Government, the MoI and the Commission have produced good MoI and the Commission have produced good results.results.

ResultsResults The provisions related to a new criminal offence "Facilitating The provisions related to a new criminal offence "Facilitating

the abuse of the right to asylum in a foreign country" became the abuse of the right to asylum in a foreign country" became applicable as defined in Article 350aapplicable as defined in Article 350a which which resulted in resulted in 99 criminal charges filed against criminal charges filed against 1111 persons persons

Criminal Police Directorate of the MoI has maximised its Criminal Police Directorate of the MoI has maximised its operative work in order to collect data and findings on persons operative work in order to collect data and findings on persons who seek asylum in the EU member states and intensified who seek asylum in the EU member states and intensified checks in passenger transport companies and agencies checks in passenger transport companies and agencies providing organised transport of passengers to the EU member providing organised transport of passengers to the EU member states;states;

The MoT intensified control of permits issued to carriers in The MoT intensified control of permits issued to carriers in international road transport and penalised those carriers who international road transport and penalised those carriers who had irregularities in their work; it also submitted to the MoI a had irregularities in their work; it also submitted to the MoI a Review of the restrictions regarding vehicles and conditions;Review of the restrictions regarding vehicles and conditions;

The carriers in international road transport with passenger The carriers in international road transport with passenger transport permits have been controlled on several occasions transport permits have been controlled on several occasions across the Serbia.across the Serbia.

ResultsResults

Criminal Police and Border Police prevented the departure of Criminal Police and Border Police prevented the departure of groups of Serbian citizens who organised themselves and tried groups of Serbian citizens who organised themselves and tried to leave the country in order to seek asylum in the EU;to leave the country in order to seek asylum in the EU;

Readmission cooperation is rather fruitful - more than 95% of Readmission cooperation is rather fruitful - more than 95% of readmission applications were approved;readmission applications were approved;

Commissariat for Refugees and Migration has implemented a Commissariat for Refugees and Migration has implemented a series of activities aimed at providing assistance to the series of activities aimed at providing assistance to the institutions at both central and municipal levels - the institutions at both central and municipal levels - the Commissariat staff held 35 workshops on reintegration of Commissariat staff held 35 workshops on reintegration of returnees under readmission agreements into receiving returnees under readmission agreements into receiving communities for the members of local services, a database of communities for the members of local services, a database of returnees' needs has been created, while 7,000 Information returnees' needs has been created, while 7,000 Information Booklets for returnees under readmission agreements have Booklets for returnees under readmission agreements have been developed and distributed,been developed and distributed,

The Commissariat for Refugees and Migration drafted and The Commissariat for Refugees and Migration drafted and proposed measures for further implementation of Strategy for proposed measures for further implementation of Strategy for Reintegration of Returnees.Reintegration of Returnees.

Strategy measuresStrategy measures

To intensify informing of potential returnees and asylum To intensify informing of potential returnees and asylum seekers about the consequences of irregular stay in the EU, seekers about the consequences of irregular stay in the EU, and about opportunities to achieve their rights in Serbia, and about opportunities to achieve their rights in Serbia, which are most often cited as a reason for asylum;which are most often cited as a reason for asylum;

To increase the employment measures for returnees under To increase the employment measures for returnees under the readmission agreements;the readmission agreements;

Centers for Social Work, in cooperation with other agencies Centers for Social Work, in cooperation with other agencies of local authorities, should immediately recognize the of local authorities, should immediately recognize the needs of returnees and they should, according to the needs of returnees and they should, according to the territory of their jurisdiction, take necessary measures with territory of their jurisdiction, take necessary measures with regard to the improvement of housing conditions, regard to the improvement of housing conditions, involvement in health and social care and education involvement in health and social care and education system, and in particular they should take care about system, and in particular they should take care about urgent needs for the provision of basic living conditions.urgent needs for the provision of basic living conditions.

Strategy measuresStrategy measures To intensify work with local authorities on whose To intensify work with local authorities on whose

territories the largest number of returnees is situated territories the largest number of returnees is situated and to continue with the revision of local action plans in and to continue with the revision of local action plans in order to include returnees and to provide basic means order to include returnees and to provide basic means at the local level for planning assistance;at the local level for planning assistance;

To wTo work on further capacity ork on further capacity building building of the Council for of the Council for the migration of those local the migration of those local authoritiesauthorities who reviewed who reviewed LAP, primarily by financing activities provided by these LAP, primarily by financing activities provided by these plansplans;;

To establish coordination with Team for the To establish coordination with Team for the Implementation of the Strategy for Improving the Implementation of the Strategy for Improving the Situation of Roma and the Social Inclusion and Poverty Situation of Roma and the Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction, and Roma coordinators;Reduction, and Roma coordinators;

To continue cooperation with authorities in countries To continue cooperation with authorities in countries that return the greatest number of persons and to that return the greatest number of persons and to inform them about the rights of citizens of Serbia and inform them about the rights of citizens of Serbia and possibilities and ways to achieve them;possibilities and ways to achieve them;

To consider the possibilitTo consider the possibilitiesies of developing programs and of developing programs and reaching bilateral agreements with EU countries that reaching bilateral agreements with EU countries that would create the conditions for temporary and seasonal would create the conditions for temporary and seasonal employment of low-skilled workers from Serbiaemployment of low-skilled workers from Serbia..

Additional activitiesAdditional activities

The media campaign was dedicated to the protection The media campaign was dedicated to the protection of rights of all migrants;of rights of all migrants;

the Commissariat developed posters and fliers entitled the Commissariat developed posters and fliers entitled "I don't want to seek asylum in the EU”;"I don't want to seek asylum in the EU”;

3000 flyers named "false asylum seekers are risking 3000 flyers named "false asylum seekers are risking everything" were distributed at border crossings ;everything" were distributed at border crossings ;

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia monitors and analyses the issue of bogus Serbia monitors and analyses the issue of bogus asylum seekers on a daily basis through its diplomatic asylum seekers on a daily basis through its diplomatic and consular offices.and consular offices.

Final recommendationsFinal recommendations

Based on present practices and experiences and bilateral Based on present practices and experiences and bilateral contacts with the representatives of the countries where this contacts with the representatives of the countries where this issue is most pronounced, Serbian competent authorities issue is most pronounced, Serbian competent authorities expressed their opinion on how to mitigate this problem to expressed their opinion on how to mitigate this problem to some degree by recommending the following measures:some degree by recommending the following measures:

To reduce or abolish welfare benefits for asylum seekers;To reduce or abolish welfare benefits for asylum seekers;To shorten the asylum procedure;To shorten the asylum procedure;To place Serbia on the list of "safe third countries";To place Serbia on the list of "safe third countries";In case the unfounded asylum application is rejected, the In case the unfounded asylum application is rejected, the applicant should be banned to re-enter the EU countries for a applicant should be banned to re-enter the EU countries for a certain period of time.certain period of time.

Comparative data for 2010, Comparative data for 2010, 2011, 20122011, 2012 and 2013 and 2013

CountriesCountries 20102010 20112011 20122012 20132013

FR GermanyFR Germany 49784978 45794579 84778477 1127211272

SwedenSweden 62556255 26992699 26912691 16691669

LuxembourgLuxembourg 141141 932932 358358 6161

BelgiumBelgium 12331233 11091109 571571 346346

SwitzerlandSwitzerland 910910 12171217 18891889 303303

DenmarkDenmark 391391

Statistics provided by Statistics provided by diplomatic missions and diplomatic missions and consular posts in 2012consular posts in 2012CountriesCountries Jan.Jan. Feb.Feb. MarchMarch AprilApril MayMay JuneJune JulyJuly Aug.Aug. Sept.Sept. Oct.Oct. Nov.Nov. Dec.Dec. TotalTotal

FR FR

GermanyGermany697697 399399 308308 148148 143143 199199 324324 496496 13951395 26732673 13061306 302302 84778477

SwedenSweden 196196 218218 204204 142142 137137 139139 148148 239239 358358 520520 211211 179179 26912691

Luxem-Luxem-

bourgbourg9191 3434 3939 4242 3939 2020 2525 2626 1616 2424 22 -- 358358

BelgiumBelgium 5858 4545 3636 5858 3333 6565 5858 4545 6464 5252 3232 2525 571571

Switzer-Switzer-

landland315315 190190 153153 9797 9999 111111 187187 410410 200200 6161 3434 3232 18891889

Statistics provided by Statistics provided by diplomatic missions and diplomatic missions and consular posts in 2013consular posts in 2013CountriesCountries Jan.Jan. Feb.Feb. MarchMarch AprilApril MayMay JuneJune JulyJuly Aug.Aug. Sept.Sept. Oct.Oct. Nov.Nov. Dec.Dec. TotalTotal

FR GermanyFR Germany 424424 398398 385385 482482 400400 525525 960960 11701170 15931593 15531553 17691769 16131613 11271127

22SwedenSweden 141141 107107 9494 121121 109109 119119 172172 130130 158158 165165 154154 199199 16691669

LuxembourgLuxembourg 77 77 22 11 33 22 88 22 44 1313 1212 -- 6161

BelgiumBelgium 3030 3030 3030 4040 2323 2727 3737 2828 2929 2727 1717 2828 346346

SwitzerlandSwitzerland 3030 2323 3030 3434 1313 3434 1616 2929 4242 1717 2020 1515 303303

DenmarkDenmark 132132 103103 7777 1616 1515 1111 33 22 33 1010 55 1414 391391

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