In September and October 2016, Praxis held three two-day workshops for Roma women and men in Leksovac, Kostolac and Novi Pazar, aimed at prevention and elimination of child, early and forced marriages. The workshops were organized as part of the activities on the project “Legal Assistance to Persons at Risk of Statelessness in Serbia”, funded by UNHCR. 

A total of 75 women and girls and 75 men and boys took part in the workshops. Due to the specific gender role of women in the Roma community, the workshops were organized in a way that first day of the workshop targeted women and the second men. 

The goal of the workshops was to come up with the proposal of mechanisms that would lead to prevention and elimination of this harmful traditional practice, during a two-day interactive discussion about the importance of the healthy early child development, respect for children’s needs and wishes, necessity of regular health protection, sexual and reproductive health, the importance of timely and continuous education.

The average age of marriage among the present Roma women was 16-17, and 18-19 among the Roma men. Also, the minimum age of marriage among the Roma women ranges from 13-15, the age when 21 present Roma women got married (28%). Only 22 participants (29.3%) entered into marriage /common marriage after 18 years of age, i.e. after the marriageable age.

It is necessary to continue working with Roma communities in these municipalities, provide them with advisory support and empower them to talk about this problem openly and work to resolve it. Educational and advisory work with parents, as decision makers, is equally important as the work with children aimed at raising awareness and empowering the girls and boys aged 10 to 15 years to resist this harmful traditional practice.

For more information, see the  announcement Praxis Held Follow-up Workshops on Prevention and Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriages.

In October and November 2016, Praxis held three community meetings in Leskovac, Pozarevac and Novi Pazar, as a part of activities aimed at prevention and elimination of child, early and forced marriages, carried out within the project “Legal Assistance to Persons at Risk of Statelessness in Serbia”, funded by UNHCR.

The idea of the second round of meeting was to gather the representatives of all institutions which may have a key role in the prevention of child, early and forced marriages, and the institutions which are obliged to react in case of child, early and forced marriages, in order to review the defined policies and improve them additionally.

A total of 48 representatives of social welfare centres, police, prosecution, judiciary, educational and health institutions, NGO sector, as well as Roma health mediators, teaching assistants and activists, took part in the meetings. The participants stated that though the problem of child, early and forced marriages has been present for long, it is not treated enough, and therefore almost no one knows how to solve it.

One of the conclusions of community meetings was the general impression of the participants that despite the mechanisms that can adequately resist the problem of child, early and forced marriages, the activities of the relevant institutions are not synchronized, but happens that the responsibilities are transferred from one institution to another.

For more information, see the announcement Praxis Held the Second Round of Community Meeting on Prevention and Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Meetings.

A total of 940 persons, of whom 328 UASC, have been relocated to the Reception Centre in Obrenovac, since its opening. The number of persons trying to cross to Croatia, Hungary or Romania has grown. The novelty compared to the previous month is the emergence of several volunteer organisations, which led to the introduction of another meal - dinner.  The situation of hygiene has improved with the mobile toilets set up by some volunteer organisations. Yet, a large amount of accumulated garbage and the appearance of rats in the area of the barracks/warehouses is a particular reason for concern and another health risk.     

Praxis continued its field work in February and provided a total of 628 newly arrived refugees and migrants (374 adults and 254 children) in Belgrade with relevant information, which is a significantly higher number of arrivals than in the previous month.

For more information, see the related announcement here. 

In early January, temperatures in Belgrade were dropping to as low as 15 degrees Celsius below zero. According to the estimates received from the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration, at the beginning of the month about 2,000 people were sleeping rough in Belgrade, at parking lots and in abandoned warehouses (barracks) near the Belgrade Bus Station. 

About 500 refugees/migrants from the barracks behind the Belgrade Bus Station were relocated to Obrenovac, out of which about 200 UASC.  In the middle of the month, MSF erected 5 tents with beds and heating for temporary overnight stay for potential UASC as well as refugees and migrants with health issues. Accommodation capacity is still insufficient to satisfy all the needs identified in the field. Moreover, Hungary reduced the number of daily admissions to territory and asylum procedures from 20 to a total of 10 per working day (weekends excluded).

Praxis continued its field work in January and provided a total of 382 newly arrived refugees/migrants (259 adults and 123 children) in Belgrade with relevant information, which is a smaller number of new arrivals than in the previous period as a result of extremely harsh weather conditions.

For more information, see the related announcement here.

The humanitarian situation in Belgrade at the end of December 2016 was quite alarming, with nearly 2,000 persons sleeping rough in Belgrade at temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius. Most of these people were sleeping in the barracks/warehouses behind the Belgrade Bus Station, in really poor conditions, without water, toilets, heating, in stuffy facilities as a result of lighting fire indoors to keep them warm, but Praxis staff counted approximately 150 on average daily sleeping outdoors, at parking lots, without any shelter. It is estimated that a third of these people are unaccompanied and separated children (UASC).

With the new arrivals, the capacities of almost all asylum and reception centres in Serbia are at full capacity or overburdened.

Praxis continued its field work in December and provided a total of 1,124 newly arrived refugees and migrants (656 adults and 468 children) in Belgrade with timely and adequate information and/or referrals, which is smaller number of arrivals than in the previous period as a result of harsh weather conditions and temperatures below zero degrees Celsius.

For more information, see the related announcement here.

At the beginning of February 2017, Praxis was visited by the representatives of the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro and Centre for Roma Initiatives with an aim to exchange experience about the mechanism of prevention and elimination of child, early and forced marriages. 

The visit to Praxis was part of a  study visit to Belgrade, organized by the Centre for Roma Initiatives in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro, as part of the project “Coordinated action to combat violence and child marriages in Roma and Egyptian Community”, which is implemented in cooperation with UNICEF in Montenegro and financial support of EU. This project is part of a many-year regional initiative aimed at improving the protection of children from violence and social inclusion of children with disabilities, which is implemented by UNICEF, European Disability Forum - EDF, EU, and the governments of seven countries in the process of EU accession. 

The goal of the study visit was to exchange knowledge and experience in relation to child, early and forced marriages with an aim to prepare “Guidelines for the treatment and processing of cases of forced marriages in Roma and Egyptian communities for the needs of police, social working centres, schools, courts and health centres” in Montenegro. 

Unlike the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro, which expressed willingness to react to the occurrence of child, early and forced marriages, the lack of institutional will to responsibly deal with this problem is still evident in Serbia.

At the beginning of February 2017, Praxis was visited by the representatives of the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro and the Centre for Roma Initiatives with an aim to exchange experience about the mechanism of prevention and elimination of child, early and forced marriages. 

The visit to Praxis was part of a study visit to Belgrade, organised by the Centre for Roma Initiatives in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro, as part of the project “Coordinated action to combat violence and child marriages in Roma and Egyptian community”, implemented in cooperation with UNICEF in Montenegro and financially supported by the EU. This project is part of a multi-year regional initiative aimed at improving the protection of children from violence and social inclusion of children with disabilities, which is implemented by UNICEF, the European Disability Forum - EDF, the EU, and the governments of seven countries in the process of EU accession. 

The goal of the study visit was to exchange knowledge and experience in relation to child, early and forced marriages with an aim to prepare “Guidelines for the treatment and processing of cases of forced marriages in Roma and Egyptian communities for the needs of police, social working centres, schools, courts and health centres” in Montenegro. 

Unlike the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro, which expressed readiness to respond to the occurrence of child, early and forced marriages, the lack of institutional will to responsibly deal with this problem is still evident in Serbia. 

At the beginning of November, the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs sent an Open Letter to international humanitarian and non-governmental organizations, stating that it was unacceptable that organizations provide food and NFI assistance in the centre or encourage migrants to reside outside designated asylum and reception centres, particularly on the territory of Belgrade. 

The humanitarian situation in Belgrade is more concerning than ever, with around 1,000 refugees and migrants sleeping rough in Belgrade central parks and barracks behind the Bus Station, several hundreds of them being unaccompanied minors, in extremely poor hygienic conditions, with almost no assistance provided. In addition, Hungary reduced the number of persons it admits to only 20 per day, weekends excluded. At the same time, the capacities of the asylum and reception centres in Serbia are almost full, including the capacities of AC Krnjaca which are overstretched. 

Praxis provided a total of 2,272 refugees and migrants (new arrivals) with timely and adequate information (1,345 adults and 927 children). 

For more information, see the related announcement here. 

The number of refugees and migrants present daily in the parks near the Belgrade Bus Station rose to nearly 1,300 persons in November, compared to around 600 in mid-September. Almost all asylum and reception centres are full, including AC Krnjaca, while there were around 1,000 refugees and migrants sleeping rough in Belgrade at the end of the reporting period, compared to around 300 in mid-September. Hygienic conditions in the old barracks, abandoned buildings and other facilities where refugees sleep are alarming, with increased number of scabies and body lice infestation. Furthermore, there is evident lack of winter NFIs in the field (jackets, shoes, blankets, etc), especially for men. 

Praxis continued protection monitoring in the field, provided information to refugees and migrants in Belgrade about available legal options and available services, identified vulnerable cases assisted them or referred them to other organizations for targeted assistance. Praxis also provided protection by presence and accompanied refugees to PS Savska for registration. Inconsistencies in registration continued, access to asylum is often hindered, protection of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) is still the most challenging, while refugees continue to report mistreatment by both the authorities and civilians along the route.

For more information, see the related announcement here.

Praxis started implementing the Project “Protection Monitoring and Assistance to Refugees and Asylum seekers in Belgrade”, funded by the Save the Children International in Serbia, on 15 August 2016.  We have been back in the field in Belgrade since 22 August 2016, providing information to refugees in Belgrade, protection by presence, identification of vulnerable cases and referrals to other agencies for targeted assistance. 

In the reporting period, Praxis provided a total of 2,396 refugees with timely and adequate information. Out of this number, 1284 persons, nearly 54% of all informed refugees, were from Afghanistan (701 adults and 583 children), with an increase of Afghan families arriving. A total of 299 beneficiaries we served (12.5%) were from Syria, 134 from Iraq (5.6%), 167 from Pakistan (nearly 7%), while 135 beneficiaries (5.6%) from other countries. Out of the total number of served beneficiaries, Praxis provided information to a total of 120 unaccompanied and separated children (UASC), 84% of them being from Afghanistan. In the same period, Praxis identified 618 vulnerable refugees and referred them to other organizations for targeted assistance, mainly for food, NFIs, accommodation, transportation, medical assistance, registration, legal assistance, AVR, and followed up on the cases when possible.

For more information, see the related announcement here.