Statement by ChildPact

Ever since the beginning of the refugee crisis, the members of The Serbian Network of Organisations for Children of Serbia (NOCS) have been involved in activities aimed at helping and supporting children of migrants and refugees from Syria and other countries in the Middle East. Among them, there is a large number of children, with an escort or unaccompanied, who are especially sensitive and vulnerable. As the situation is becoming more complicated and uncertain, NOCS mapped potential partners that have the capacity to get engaged in new activities and that are already active in providing support to the children of refugees.

NOCS members conduct activities in Belgrade, in the south of the country in Presevo, in the north near Subotica, Horgos, Kanjiza and Sid.

Know How Center, SOS Children’s Villages Serbia, Udruženje građana Duga, Pomoć deci, Novosadski humanitarni centar NSHC, The Center for Youth Integration and Friends of Children of Serbia have involved volunteers who are collecting and participating in the distribution of humanitarian aid (packages, hygiene, food, water). They have formed mobile teams and are working with children in detention centers where special corners are formed for them. They are planning health assistance and support for children and families. Among NOCS members, there are also organizations that can train volunteers to work with children and refugees.

NVO Atina engaged in a comprehensive program of social inclusion of victims of trafficking and other forms of exploitation and can provide training for people who work in the field.

RROMA-ROTA, Somborski Education Center and Grupa za decu i mlade Indigo are also ready and planing to be involved in the activities with refugee children.

A network of partners in the field is being formed in order to assess the need for emergency relief and support and there is cooperation with national institutions and international donor organizations. In larger cities in Serbia, there are local networks against human trafficking which are becoming particularly important in this time of increased inflow of refugees, and in the situation where the risk of trafficking, abuse and exploitation is extremely high.

Parental associations in Belgrade, like Udruženje Roditelja, appeal for donation of baby slings and wraps. These are very important so that children would not get separated from their parents or caretakers during their stay and further travelings. They also allow parents to move their hands freely so that they can help their older children. Furthermore, there is a lack of food, water, shoes, backpacks, sleeping bags, raincoats (especially for children), baby wraps – slings, tents, hats, gloves, socks, as well as men’s and women’s shoes.

Praxis is engaged in protection monitoring, distribution of information on survival-related issues, provision of counselling and assistance to refugees in Serbia related to registration of intention to seek asylum in Serbia and access to humanitarian aid. Praxis team is available during working days from 12-14h at the Info Park (Belgrade) and has a hotline during weekends (with an Arabic speaker). In order to directly monitor the situation in the field, Praxis is performing intensive field visits to all current refugee crisis points throughout Serbia.

"According to Save the Children, during 2015, more than 25,000 refugee children have arrived to Serbia, including at least 5,754 unaccompanied minors (UAM). These minors avoid at all costs to be identified as UAMs, insisting that they are “traveling in a group with the aim of reuniting with their family in Germany”. Some of the children have been separated from their parents and families and are particularly at the risk of trafficking, abuse and exploitation", said Jasmina Mikovic, Praxis Deputy Director.

Bearing in mind the escalation and scope of the crisis, as well as the coming winter, The Serbian Network of Organizations for Children – NOCS makes an appeal for investing additional efforts in addressing the crisis at both the national and regional levels, pointing out that children are the most vulnerable and the most affected.

See the statement on Child Pact website here.

Statement by ChildPact

Ever since the beginning of the refugee crisis, the members of The Serbian Network of Organisations for Children of Serbia (NOCS) have been involved in activities aimed at helping and supporting children of migrants and refugees from Syria and other countries in the Middle East. Among them, there is a large number of children, with an escort or unaccompanied, who are especially sensitive and vulnerable. As the situation is becoming more complicated and uncertain, NOCS  mapped potential partners that have the capacity to get engaged in new activities and that are already active in providing support to the children of refugees.

NOCS members conduct activities in Belgrade, in the south of the country in Presevo, in the north near Subotica, Horgos, Kanjiza and Sid.

Know How Center, SOS Children’s Villages Serbia, Udruženje građana Duga, Pomoć deci, Novosadski humanitarni centar NSHC, The Center for Youth Integration and Friends of Children of Serbia have involved volunteers who are collecting and participating in the distribution of humanitarian aid (packages, hygiene, food, water). They have formed mobile teams and are working with children in detention centers where special corners are formed for them. They are planning health assistance and support for children and families. Among NOCS members, there are also organizations that can train volunteers to work with children and refugees.

NVO Atina engaged in a comprehensive program of social inclusion of victims of trafficking and other forms of exploitation and can provide training for people who work in the field.

RROMA-ROTA, Somborski Education Center and Grupa za decu i mlade Indigo  are also ready and planing to be involved in the activities with refugee children.

A network of partners in the field is being formed in order to assess the need for emergency relief and support and there is cooperation with national institutions and international donor organizations. In larger cities in Serbia, there are local networks against human trafficking which are becoming particularly important in this time of increased inflow of refugees, and in the situation where the risk of trafficking, abuse and exploitation is extremely high.

Parental associations in Belgrade, like Udruženje Roditelja, appeal for donation of baby slings and wraps. These are very important so that children would not get separated from their parents or caretakers during their stay and further travelings. They also allow parents to move their hands freely so that they can help their older children. Furthermore, there is a lack of food, water, shoes, backpacks, sleeping bags, raincoats (especially for children), baby wraps – slings, tents, hats, gloves, socks, as well as men’s and women’s shoes.

Praxis is engaged in protection monitoring, distribution of information on survival-related issues, provision of counselling and assistance to refugees in Serbia related to registration of intention to seek asylum in Serbia and access to humanitarian aid. Praxis team is available during working days from 12-14h at the Info Park (Belgrade) and has a hotline during weekends (with an Arabic speaker). In order to directly monitor the situation in the field, Praxis is performing intensive field visits to all current refugee crisis points throughout Serbia.

"According to Save the Children, during 2015, more than 25,000 refugee children have arrived to Serbia, including at least 5,754 unaccompanied minors (UAM). These minors avoid at all costs to be identified as UAMs, insisting that they are “traveling in a group with the aim of reuniting with their family in Germany”. Some of the children have been separated from their parents and families and are particularly at the risk of trafficking, abuse and exploitation", said Jasmina Mikovic, Praxis Deputy Director.

Bearing in mind the escalation and scope of the crisis, as well as the coming winter, The Serbian Network of Organizations for Children – NOCS makes an appeal for investing additional efforts in addressing the crisis at both the national and regional levels, pointing out that children are the most vulnerable and the most affected.

See the statement on Child Pact website here.

Following the Praxis announcement Vecernje novosti Discriminated against Roma, Beta News Agency published the text stating that the Commissioner for Protection of Equality Brankica Jankovic said that Vecernje novosti Daily had violated the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination by publishing the text “Disaster in Smederevo: Roma in Sexual Relation with a Girl”.

Praxis filed a complaint to the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, and during the procedure the Commissioner asked for the opinion of the editor-in-chief of Vecernje novoosti Daily, but no opinion about the complaint has been delivered.

"The level of responsibility of Vecernje novosti Daily is even higher given that it is the newspaper with the national circulation, which is distributed in the territory of the whole state and which affects the public opinion, and therefore it is bound to take care when publishing texts that promote prejudices and incite hostile and insulting environment for some social groups", is stated is the conclusion of the Commissioner.

The Commisioner for Protection of Equality recommended to the editor-in-chief of Vecernje novosti Daily not to publish the texts that are disturbing and humiliating towards the Roma national minority and to take care, within its regular activities, not to violate legal regulations on prohibition of discrimination.

Read the statement at Beta News Agency website: Vecernje novosti Daily Incited Discrimiantion with the Text

Balkan Magazin has published Praxis announcement stating that the Appeals Commission of the Press Council established that Vecernje novosti Daily had violated the Code of Ethics of Journalists of Serbia by publishing the article entitled “A Serious Crime Solved after 14 Years – An Elderly Woman Killed with a Screwdriver” as of 11 June 2015.

Read the article published in Danas Daily: Praxis Complaint Adopted
Read Praxis announcement: Vecernje novosti Violated the Code of Ethics of Journalists for Discrimination against Roma

Danas Daily has published Praxis announcement stating that the Appeals Commission of the Press Council established that Vecernje novosti Daily had violated the Code of Ethics of Journalists of Serbia by publishing the article entitled “A Serious Crime Solved after 14 Years – An Elderly Woman Killed with a Screwdriver” as of 11 June 2015.

The Appeals Commission of the Press Council acted upon the complaint lodged by the Coalition against Discrimination. The Appeals Commission adopted the complaint and reached a decision that Code of Ethics of Journalists of Serbia was violated in the part where it is said that a journalist must oppose to all those who violate human rights and that a journalist must be aware of the danger of discrimination that can be spread by media

Read the article published in Danas Daily: Praxis Complaint Adopted
Read Praxis announcement: Vecernje novosti Violated the Code of Ethics of Journalists for Discrimination against Roma

The Commissioner for Protection of Equality Established that Vecernje novosti Daily violated the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination by publishing the text “Disaster in Smederevo: Roma in Sexual Relation with a Girl” in the printed issue in March 2015.

Praxis filed a complaint to the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, stating that national affiliation of the suspected of committing a criminal act should not be mentioned, unless it is directly related to the type and nature of the committed criminal act. It was also stated that this text incites discrimination, hate and violence towards the members of the Roma nationality. To remind, on the same occasion did Praxis and Standing Conference of Roma Associations of Citizens SKRUG – The League of Roma lodge a complaint to the Appeals Commission of the Press Council. The Appeals Commission adopted the complaint and reached a decision that Vecernje novosti Daily had violated the Code of Ethics of Journalists of Serbia, precisely Item 1 of the chapter IV according to which a journalist shall oppose all those who violate human rights or who advocate any kind of discrimination, hate speech or incitement to violence, and Item 4 of the Chapter V according to which a journalist must be aware of the danger of discrimination that can be spread by media and shall do everything to avoid discrimination.

The Commissioners for Protection of Equality carried out the procedure in order to establish legally relevant facts. Therefore, the editor-in-chief of Vecernje novost Daily was asked for the opinion. However, the opinion about the complaint was not submitted.

The Commissioner for Protection of Equality reminded of professional and ethical standards related to raising the reputation of journalistic profession, promotion of freedom of opinion, speech and expression. Further in the opinion, it is stated that the “level of responsibility of Vecernje novosti Daily is even higher, given that it is newspapers with national circulation, distributed in the territory of the whole country, which affects the creation of public opinion, and is therefore obliged to take care about the publication of texts that promote prejudices and encourage hostile and offensive environment for certain social groups”. Finally, the Commissioner noted that media are “powerful means in spreading of tolerance, encouragement of the right to equality and suppression of discrimination, and that she is convinced that publication of the disputable text is the result of the lack of knowledge about international and national standards in the area of equality. She hopes and expects that Vecernje novosti Daily will intend, through texts they publish, to develop the awareness of equality of national minorities, particularly the Roma national minority which is very discriminated in our society”.

The Commissioner for Protection of Equality recommended that the editor-in-chief of Vecernje novosti Daily should not publish texts that are disturbing and humiliating towards the Roma national minority and take care not to violate the legal regulations on prohibition of discrimination within his regular activities.

Download: Complaint to the Commissioner for Protection of Equality
                Opinion of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality

Announcement published in the following media: Local Press
                                                                       NUNS
                                                                       Romaworld

The Appeals Commission of the Press Council has established that Vecernje novosti Daily has violated the Code of Ethics of Journalists of Serbia by publishing the article entitled “A Serious Crime Solved after 14 Years – An Elderly Woman Killed with a Screwdriver” as of 11 June 2015.

The Appeals Commission of the Press Council acted upon the complaint lodged by the Coalition against Discrimination, which consists of Praxis, Centre for Advanced Legal Studies, CHRIS Network Civil Rights Defenders, Gayten LGBT, Regional Centre for Minorities, Association of Students with Disabilities, Labris and Civil Rights Defenders. It is stated in the complaint that national affiliation of the defendant should not be mentioned, unless it is closely related to the type and nature of the committed criminal act. The plaintiffs also find that this text incites discrimination, hatred and violence towards the Roma and that such reporting directly contributes to creating and spreading hatred towards the members of the Roma national minority.

The Appeals Commission adopted the complaint and reached a decision that Vecernje novosti Daily violated the Code of Ethics of Journalists of Serbia, precisely Item 1 of the chapter IV according to which a journalist shall oppose all those who violate human rights or who advocate any kind of discrimination, hate speech or incitement to violence, and Item 4 of the Chapter V according to which a journalist must be aware of the danger of discrimination that can be spread by media and shall do everything to avoid discrimination. Vecernje novosti Daily was ordered to publish this decision of the Appeals Commission in the online edition, within seven days at latest.

It was stated in the explanation of the decision that according to the recent practice, the Appeals Commission concluded that the Code of Ethics of Journalists of Serbia clearly specifies that in reports on criminal acts, national, racial, religious, ideological and political affiliation, as well as sexual orientation, social and marital status of suspected persons or victims, are mentioned only if it is in direct relation to the nature of a criminal act. In this case, the national affiliation of the arrested is not connected to the nature of that criminal act and therefore there was no reason to note that they were Roma. Highlighting that fact incited, however, hate speech in the comments such as “Those were not the Roma, but Gypsies who kill Serbs and nobody can do anything to them”, which were published by Vecernje novosti Daily.

The Appeals Commission reminded that in April as of the same year it reached the same decision in almost the identical case, but unfortunately Vecernje novosti Daily again violates the provisions of the Code of Ethics of Journalists related to prohibition of discrimination, hate speech and incitement of violence.

More information about the procedure is available at the link.

Statement published in the following media:  Danas Daily (FoNet)
                                                                 BalkanMagazin (FoNet)        

Acting upon the Praxis complaint, the Appeals Commission of the Press Council has established that Informer Daily has violated the Code of Ethics of Journalists of Serbia by publishing the article entitled ”ATTENTION! Malaria, Polio and Bird Flu Arrive with Migrants” as of 1 July 2015.

Praxis pointed out that the title of the disputable text contains a straightforward claim that malaria, polio and bird flu arrive with migrants, even though there is no official data on potential increase of infectious diseases in Serbia. In addition, the disputable article unjustifiably brings anxiety and fear, given that the title of the sidebar also suggests that “each contact with migrants is dangerous”.

The Appeals Commission established that Informer Daily violated the Code of Ethics of Journalists of Serbia, precisely Item 2 of the Chapter I according to which it is the obligation of journalists and editors to make a clear distinction between the facts they convey, comments, assumptions and speculation; Item 4 of the Chapter V  according to which a journalist must be aware of the danger of discrimination that can be spread by media and shall do everything to avoid discrimination, and Item 8 of the Chapter VI according to which a journalist shall not create unjustified fear.

The members of the Appeals Commission concluded that Informer Daily presented the assumptions of epidemiologists as facts. At the same time, they stated that by “labelling the migrants as transmitters of serious diseases with whom every contact is dangerous, Informer Daily discriminates against the members of the population which passes through our country and which is already prejudiced against”.

Decision by the Appeals Commission is important because it reminds the journalists that when reporting they shall not spread unjustified fear, incite discrimination, as well as of their obligation to make a clear distinction between facts and assumptions. 

The Commissioner for Protection of Equality has established that Taxi Association of Serbia acted discriminatory by recommending taxi drivers not to take refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.

Specifically, the president of the Taxi Association of Serbia in his interview for Blic Daily as of 24 March 2015, stated, among others, the following: “Taxi drivers are recommended not to take asylum seekers as they may find themselves in an unpleasant situation. The police which finds asylum seekers in a taxi will temporarily take a taxi away and a court procedure will be initiated. In the procedure, a taxi driver is supposed to prove that he did not know that people in his car were not asylum seekers.”

On that occasion, Praxis filed a complaint to the Commissioner for Protection of Equality stating that denying transportation services to one population group is a discriminatory act, which creates hostile environment and spreads intolerance and xenophobia in society. The recommendation given to taxi drivers is contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia and a series of provisions of the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination, which clearly recognize the refusal to provide a public service as a form of discrimination.  

The Commissioner for Protection of Equality has established that refugees, asylum seekers and migrants were put in an unequal position in regard to use of taxi services on the basis of their personal characteristics, and thus the Law on Prohibition of Discrimination was violated. The Commissioner also recommended that president of the Taxi Association of Serbia should act in a way to contribute that taxi drivers provide transportation services to all passengers under the equal conditions, and take care, within his regular activities, not to violate legal regulations on prohibition of discrimination. 

At the moment when a large number of refugees pass through Serbia running away from the war, the minimum we can do is not to make their struggle for survival more difficult. The increased number of xenophobic statements made by representatives of authorities and newspaper texts contribute to spreading of intolerance in society. Therefore, the opinion of the Commissioner for Protection of Equality sends a clear message that discriminatory statements are unacceptable and that everyone, with no exception, has the right to protection from discrimination.

A new wave of evictions of residents of the unrecognized Collective Centre “Pionirski Grad” is expected on 27 April 2015, when the eviction of two families has been scheduled.

P.T. is one of those facing the forced eviction. P.T. is a person with a disability, he lives alone, suffers from epilepsy and has epileptic seizures on a weekly basis. The only income he has is the temporary cash benefit for internally displaced persons from Kosovo amounting to 8,500 dinars, which is certainly not enough to provide for basic living needs. Due to his health condition and social vulnerability, P.T. needs continuous support, so the failure of the competent bodies to provide him with alternative accommodation will lead him to homelessness.

We would once again like to point to the fact that the residents of “Pionirski grad” are internally displaced persons and refugees, mainly persons in poor health, the elderly, the unemployed, single parents, children and the socially vulnerable, who live in constant fear and uncertainty, without a permanent and durable solution.

With support of 35 CSOs and two networks gathering 167 CSOs, at the beginning of November 2014, Praxis sent the request to the competent authorities to prevent eviction of internally displaced persons and refugees from the unrecognized Collective Centre “Pionirski grad” during the winter period, and to find durable and sustainable solutions for refugees and IDPs threatened with homelessness. However, the only support came from the independent institutions of the Ombudsperson and the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, and from the Office for Human and Minority Rights which had made aware the competent institutions to the need to provide an alternative accommodation in cases of forced evictions and enable participation of these persons in the programmes of competent institutions related to securing the enjoyment of the right to housing.

We once again call on the competent institutions of the Republic of Serbia to urgently suspend the evictions of residents of the unrecognized Collective Centre “Pionirski grad” and to undertake measures to secure an adequate alternative accommodation to these persons.

For more information, see the announcement: A New Wave of Evictions of Residents of the Unrecognized Collective Centre “Pionirski Grad”