Female refugees and migrants, children in movement, refugees and migrants with developmental delays and disabilities, as well as LGBTI refugees and migrants are in an extremely sensitive position and more frequently they are victims of various forms of violence. After the visit to the Asylum Center in Krnjača and learning about the cases of violence at this Center, the Protector of Citizens, upon his own initiative initiated the proceedings toward the City Center for Social Work Belgrade and the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs as well as against the Commissariat for Refugees and Migrations (CRM) -Center for Asylum Krnjača and the Ministry of Interior asking for information on each individual case of violence against women and children staying at the Asylum Center Krnjača.

Based on the statements of controlled bodies and documentation submitted by the bodies to the Protector of Citizens, this body confirmed that there is no complete exchange of information and coordination in cases of violence between different authorities, so the exchange of information frequently boils down to sending information on the suspicion to violence, without the reception of feedback about what was done about it. Furthermore, CRM and asylum center representatives do not participate at the conferences of cases referring to violence against women and violence, abuse and negligence of children or at the meetings of groups for coordination and cooperation or at accredited trainings. Also, it was confirmed that there is no adequate number of female interpreters for Urdu and Pashtu languages. In order to remove the identified shortcomings, the Protector of Citizens issued the Opinion to the Commissariat for refugees, migrations, to the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, to the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Finance.

In 2018, more than 9,000 citizens addressed the Institution of the Protector of Citizens, and nearly 3,400 complaints were received in which the citizens pointed to the violations of their rights.

This is what the Ombudsman, Zoran Pašalić, said today when presenting the report on the work of his institution in 2018 in the Serbian Parliament, which stated that last year the Protector of Citizens made 297 recommendations to the administration bodies.

Of the total number of referrals made, 144 were related to gender equality. The largest number of citizens' complaints in 2018 concerned the work of representatives of the executive branch, especially the ministries, about 20 percent of all complaints, as Pašalić said. According to him, the number of complaints related to the work of local self-government units accounts for about 13 percent of the total complaints.

Citizens also complained about the work of the judicial authorities, 11 percent of all complaints. The majority of citizens complained about the violations of rights in the area of good governance, economic and social sphere, Pašalić added.
He said that the complaints were about existential problems and unemployment, but also about the inefficient state administration, which is silent when it should act for the benefit of citizens.

There were frequent violations or denials of citizens' rights in the work of administrative bodies, as well as repetitions of the same or similar problems in their work, Pašalić said. On the other hand, the Protector of Citizens also noted more intensive activities of the Serbian Government in modernizing the work of the state administration through the development and implementation of various electronic services. The progress is reflected in serious approach and more frequent implementation of activities aimed at improving the human resources in the field of good governance, Pašalić said.

The Protector of Citizens said at the beginning of his presentation that he was sorry that MPs were not present in larger number that day, adding that there were no politics, political affinities and animosities in the report and actions of the Protector of Citizens. He emphasized that human and minority rights and freedoms are the fundamental values on which, in addition to the rule of law, social justice, the principles of civil democracy, the Republic of Serbia is based.

Attachments:

Regular Annual Report of the Protector of Citizens 2018

The Protector of Citizens Zoran Pašalić attended yesterday the opening ceremony of the Serbian Cultural Center “Kolo” at the border village Morahalom in Hungary, which was built within the project of cross-border cooperation of Serbia and Hungary, and soon the Hungarian Cultural Center will be opened in Palić. The project was supported by the European Union with 3.2 million euros.

The main goal of the project “Multicolored cooperation” is the comprehensive strengthening of the cross-border relations of two peoples, regardless of their borderlines and this institution shall provide the constant and interesting content of the cooperation for the people of both countries, it was said at the opening.

The officials of Serbia and Hungary were present at the yesterday ceremony and agreed that the relations of Serbia and Hungary are at exceptionally high level and getting better from day to day.
The Serbian Cultural Center “Kolo” in Morahalom should be the center of Balkan culture at this part of Hungary and the place of cultural cooperation of artists on both sides of the border. It will have the role of the new bridge of cooperation between two countries and nations and institute for cultivating and strengthening of cultural values.