Keys to the apartments were handed over to 10 refugee families in Brus, within the Regional Housing Programme. The EU is by far the largest donor to the RHP, with EUR 234 million pledged from the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), or the 82% off all donations.

Within the RHP, in all partner countries close to 4 900 families had received a housing solution by end-June 2019. A further 1 700 units are expected to be delivered in 2019, followed by 3 200 units in 2020 and 2 000 units in 2021. So far, Serbia has been awarded the largest share of grants, and only the last grant within the SRB9 sub-project amounted to 22 million EUR. Commissariat for Refugees and Migration is the lead institution for the Programme implementation in Serbia.

The hand-over ceremony was, among others, attended by EUD representative Enrico Visentin, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the Commission for Coordination of the Process of Permanent Integration of Refugees of the Government of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dačić, President of the Municipality of Brus Saša Milošević, Assistant Commissioner for Refugees and Migration Ivan Gerginov and representatives of Council of Europe.

On behalf of the Delegation of the EU to Serbia, Mr Enrico Visentin expressed great pleasure and honest joy for families moving to their new homes. However, the RHP brings not only housing solutions to the refugees from the wars in ex-Yugoslavia, but it also fosters regional cooperation by successfully addressing the issues of common concern, which makes the Programme unique. Additionally, Mr Visentin praised the families for their patience and commitment towards better future and stated that the EU is more than happy to contribute alongside with other donors.

Photo: KIRS

Minister Dačić, who personally handed over the keys to the families, reflected on the importance of the RHP because it helps to all the people who lost their homes, regardless of the ethnicity, wherever the war brought them. He also reiterated the EU integration process as permanent determination of Serbia and stated that RHP is a clear example of mutual support, understanding and cooperation.