According to the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in 2015 more than 700,000 people – mainly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq – took the Western Balkans route on their way to Central and Northern Europe. Switzerland is supporting Serbian and Macedonian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) within the framework of migration partnerships. The work of these NGOs complements the efforts of national governments and international organisations in meeting the most urgent needs of the large number of migrants.
Marija Cvejic works for the Serbian NGO Atina, which receives financial support from Switzerland, heading the mobile team in Preševo. The NGO helps victims of human trafficking and has now extended its activities to help migrants affected by the problem. Everyday, Marija Cvejic sees first hand how heavily the migrants rely on the help of her team: "Everyday we hear sad stories that are not only deeply moving but also motivate us to be here for these people. The smiles, the warmth in their looks, the heart-felt appreciation, and the expressions of gratitude of these people in need of protection tell us that our work is meaningful."
Atina carries out missions day and night with the help of seven mobile teams that operate mostly in the border areas in Miratovac and Preševo in the south and Šid in the north. Since June 2015 the mobile teams have been assisting 5,000 migrants on average per week and referring them to appropriate support agencies. The activities of the teams include providing emergency aid measures, such as medical care, identifying victims and potential victims of human trafficking, and psychosocial support. Identifying victims is not easy, however, because local helpers are not sufficiently trained to identify affected women.
Mariam, Tuba and Hiba – putting faces to the numbers
According to information from Atina, the current migration flow is characterised by a high number of women with children, and minors travelling alone from poorer social classes. In the first two months of 2016, Serbia alone registered 94,605 people, 40% of whom were children. Children are easy prey for well organised and widely networked human traffickers, which is why the NGO focuses its work especially on protecting them and explaining to them the possible dangers. The unreserved willingness of many helpers to do all they can gives the children strength and courage. 15-year-old Mariam from Afghanistan puts it like this: "When I feel I can't go on, I look into the faces of the smiling helpers, who are always here for us, and I tell myself that I must go on – even if it is only because of everything they are doing to help us."
Background information
While in 2014 the main migratory movements originated in North Africa and flowed via the central Mediterranean to Italy, in spring 2015 the migrants' route changed radically, and since then most have been travelling from Turkey via Greece and the Western Balkans to Central and Northern Europe. Owing to the very large number of migrants and the fluctuations in the numbers, major demands have been placed on Macedonia and Serbia, which together with Slovenia and Croatia are transit countries along the Balkans Route. For this reason, in 2015 the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched an appeal for more aid funds, to which Switzerland responded. The UNHCR is supporting the Balkan states, focusing on improving border surveillance, and is advising governments on how to improve their asylum systems. The IOM is also working closely with governmental partners to improve migration and border management at the Macedonian and Serbian borders, and to make the registration process more efficient.
Overall, Switzerland was able to provide CHF 1.5 million at very short notice thanks to the migration partnerships with the countries of the Western Balkans that have been in place since 2012. Migration partnerships provide guidelines for managing the asylum process and for dealing with human trafficking and smuggling.
