Welcome to My Country
Refugees in the eyes of secondary school students in Serbia “I look into the eyes of this tiny refugee boy who does not understand what I am saying. I am afraid they will never feel safety and warmth of a home. But they have seen the horrors beyond my imagination.. I...
Information sessions help LGBTQ+ asylum-seekers find their footing in Serbia
The pride parade filled the streets of Belgrade with colours and music. Starting from Manjež park, people paraded around the city centre cheering and singing in unison. Among the cheerful crowd came Karim*, along with a few other asylum-seekers residing in Belgrade....
Serbian human rights lawyer fights for the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers
UNHCR has named Nikola Kovačević the UNHCR Regional Nansen Refugee Award winner for Europe for his dedication to providing legal assistance to refugees and asylum-seekers in Serbia. Nikola Kovačević starts his workday as a lawyer not in a suit, but in a T-shirt and...
The Biggest Step So Far, Towards Their Future
This October, Kathia, Sebtimio, Sami and Reza will enter the classrooms of faculties in Belgrade, on a pursuit of their dreams. A big step in anyone’s lifetime, for them it is at least one size bigger – coming after many actual steps they made on their way to finding...
Language classes help young refugees in Serbia integrate more easily
Considering that studying a language is inseparable from learning about the culture of the host country, conversation classes are sometimes organized outside the classroom For Firash, 17, and Asadi, 18, who fled Afghanistan more than a year ago, learning Serbian is...
Teen refugee teaches other young asylum-seekers about risks of abuse
A peer-taught programme in Serbia is helping vulnerable unaccompanied children protect themselves from violence and exploitation as they seek safety. Arsalan* knows about the risks of violence and exploitation firsthand. Armed groups used to barge into the shop where...
Serbia vaccinates refugees against COVID-19
Serbia is including refugees and asylum-seekers in its national vaccination rollout, with support from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency Serbia has commenced COVID-19 vaccinations for refugees and asylum seekers. On Friday, 53 people at an asylum centre near the capital,...
Roma youth for Roma community during the COVID-19 pandemic
Young UN Volunteers Silvija, Kristina and Meti do their part in assisting their community to overcome the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic. Although with different educational background (music, medicine and literature) all three are members of the UN Volunteers cohort in Serbia with the mission of being link between the Roma community and governmental institutions.
How to end statelessness
“When they called to tell me that I had been issued documents, I was so happy that I burst into tears! People around me thought I didn’t feel well – that excited and full of joy was I.” Life has rarely been easy for Djuljana (27). At the tender age of seven, she...