The 14th Meeting of Trustees for Refugees and Migration in Kopaonik
14.11.2018. The 14th Meeting of Trustees for Refugees and Migration was organized from 14-16 November in Kopaonik, on the topic of implementation of the Regional Housing Program and the situation in the area of migration and asylum.The opening ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin, Commissioner for Refugees and Migration Vladimir Cucic, representatives of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia, Greek and Macedonian Governments, guests from the region (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Montenegro), Provincial Fund for providing assistance to refugees, expelled and displaced persons, the Office for Kosovo, the Council of Europe Development Bank, the OSCE, UNHCR, IOM, UNDP, BPRM, GIZ, PIU and many other international and domestic institutions.
Following a short film "Home, Sweet Home" about the life and education of an Afghan girl accommodated in the Center for Asylum Bogovadja with her family, Commissioner Cucic officialy opened the Working Meeting , highlighting that Serbia can be proud of how it behaved during the migratory crisis, as well as that migrations are permanent and are not likely to stop.
Minster Vulin stressed that Serbia will continue to act in a human and organized manner and will take care of every human being who needs help, at the same time respecting laws and the way of life within the Republic of Serbia. The Minister thanked the members of the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration who, as he pointed out, unselfishly worked all these years on the care and preservation of the dignity of people, which distinguished Serbia from other countries on the migratory route.
Many other guest speakers addresses the gathering.
On the second day, a side event on migration and asylum was held, where representatives of the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia, international organizations and countries of the region spoke about the current situation in that area. At the end of the session, the film "Aladdin’s Kitchen" was shown, featuring a young Irani man who received asylum in the Republic of Serbia. The film was financed through the project "Support to Migration Management in Serbia". The organization of the 14th Meeting of Trustees for Refugees and Migration was funded by the Bank for Development of the Council of Europe, the Government of Switzerland and the International Organization for Migration.