An Afghan Refugee’s Journey Toward a Future in Serbia
Muhammad fled Afghanistan six years ago. After an uncertain journey through Pakistan, Iran, Türkiye, Greece and North Macedonia, he finally arrived in Serbia. Soon, he realized that he could build a new life there. However, the early days were not easy. Upon arriving...
The Resilient Voice of a Ukrainian Refugee Preserving Tradition Through Song
Liana arrived in Serbia two and a half years ago from Ukraine, with her children. Back home, she studied music at Prokofiev Music Academy. She could not express herself in the Serbian language at the time, but she found her expression in what she does best – singing...
Integrating into Serbian society through the eyes of a Burundian asylum-seeker
Kharim, 29, fled his native Burundi in search of protection almost two years ago with very little but his old camera, a portfolio of works and knowledge of several foreign languages. Finding himself in Serbia, he was put up at a reception centre on the outskirts of...
UNHCR Serbia Marks World Refugee Day 2024 – For a World Where Refugees are Welcomed
World Refugee Day (WRD) 2024 in Serbia was a celebration of unity and cultural exchange. The event kicked off with a collaborative cooking session, where refugees from Iraq, Iran, and Ukraine, along with students from the Hospitality and Tourism School in Belgrade,...
Ukrainian Refugee in Serbia Pursues Her Dreams Through Traditional Painting
Natalia arrived in Serbia from Zaporizhia in Ukraine with two small children. She learnt Petrykivka painting, a traditional Ukrainian decorative painting style, when she was a girl and has been doing it ever since to create decorative objects and presents for friends...
A new beginning in Novi Banovci
Just hours before the bombing started in the town of Benkovac, Croatia in the summer of 1995, Ljubinka, then 25, her 1-year-old son, and a couple of friends managed to flee the country. After several days on the run, Ljubinka was able to reunite with her husband and...
A refugee family from Burundi restores its faith in people, bit by bit
The first encounter with Serbia for Olivier, a refugee from Burundi, was when he arrived in the no longer operating Bela Palanka Reception Centre in late November 2020. He remembers the cold like he never experienced before, and not being able to communicate due to...
Two Ukrainian women are striving for great success with their newly opened fashion studio in Vranje
Liudmyla and Ilona have embarked on a thrilling adventure together. They are refugees from Ukraine, forced to leave their homeland due to the turmoil of war, and presently residing in the Asylum Center in Vranje, with their children and aged parents. Having left their...
Support from a compatriot makes it easier for an Iraqi asylum-seeker to integrate into his new environment in Serbia
Twenty refugees and asylum-seekers from all over the world volunteered to distribute water to the runners in 36th Belgrade Marathon on 23 April. All of them were all special in their own way. But one of them was more special than others. Meet Diar – he believes...