European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, together with Head of EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs/President of Working group in charge of addressing mixed migrant flow Aleksandar Vulin, toured reception centre for refugees in Sid.
Hahn thanked Serbian Government for all it has done for refugees and said that this was a common issue which required a European response. “You are not alone, you are Europeans and we should be working together. New borders and walls are not what Europe relies on,” Hahn said.
“I’ve seen what you did to help refugees,” Hahn said after touring the reception centre and reiterated that he was impressed by Serbian authorities and citizens’ humane approach towards refugees.
Stressing that this was his first chance to get to know the refugee situation on the ground, European Commissioner said that everyone was obliged to help refugees in a humane way, and then announced he would talk further actions with Turkey and other countries because winter was approaching.
He said that Heads of State or Government of EU countries decided the course of action – to strengthen external borders and establish registration hot-spots. He also said he was obliged to help countries such as Serbia because “one country alone cannot carry the burden only for being a transit country.”
Hahn said that the EU would secure financial and political support for Serbia, noting that money means a lot but is not everything, just as in everyday life. Hahn reminded that Serbia was allocated with EUR10 million out of the refugee crisis assistance package.
Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia was a transit country for the majority of refugees, but they were all taken care of well. “We are doing everything we can,” Vucic said.
Reception centre in the village of Principovac near Sid was equipped thanks to EULEX Mission donation, which delivered 200 beds, mattresses, a large dining table, a power generator and toilet containers.
