“Respect, Protection and Fulfilment of the Human Rights of Persons in Need of International Protection in the Republic of Serbia” provides a comprehensive overview of the human-rights situation of refugees, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable categories of foreign nationals whose personal circumstances make their safe return to the country of origin impossible, at least temporarily. As a partner of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Serbia, IDEAS, within its Asylum and Migration Programme, provides continuous legal support to these persons, from initial contact with the asylum system, through proceedings before domestic and international institutions, to support during the integration process.
The report documents the activities of the IDEAS legal team in the areas of legal information, individual counselling, and direct representation before the competent authorities of the Republic of Serbia, including the Administrative Court, the Constitutional Court, the European Court of Human Rights, and other international human-rights bodies. Legal assistance also covered persons facing entry bans, return measures, and deprivation of liberty, as well as those who chose to regularise their status in Serbia through other forms of residence, particularly on humanitarian grounds.
In substance, the report is structured into ten thematic chapters that follow the key aspects of the right to international protection – from access to the territory and the practice of refusal of entry, through the quality of decision-making in the asylum procedure, to inclusion and the position of vulnerable groups. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the legal framework, institutional practices, and their alignment with international standards.
The authors of the report point out that, despite occasional positive examples and individual efforts, the Serbian asylum system continues to be marked by inefficiency, unpredictability, and inconsistency. Progress in certain areas is largely the result of decisions by domestic and international human-rights bodies rather than systemic reforms. The report therefore also contains recommendations aimed at improving the legal and institutional framework in line with the international obligations Serbia has assumed.
Download the report HERE.