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Gallery|Humanitarian Crises

Afghan refugees stranded in Serbia

As winter approaches and policies continue to harden against them, life for refugees becomes more difficult in Europe.

Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Refugees wait in line at the depot behind the central train station in Belgrade as volunteers give out lunch. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
By Ioana Moldovan
Published On 17 Nov 201617 Nov 2016
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Belgrade, Serbia – When some European borders closed to refugees in March 2016, many thought the refugee crisis was over. But in Serbia, the government and organisations working with refugees say the route is still active.

According to the UNHCR, some 150 refugees arrive in Serbia every day, either through Bulgaria or Macedonia. Some of them had been stranded in refugee camps in Greece for a long time, but there are also new arrivals, people who arrived in Europe recently. 

At the moment, Serbia is home to more than 6,000 refugees, most of whom plan to continue their journey further west to other countries.

Families with children account for 30-40 percent of the refugees stranded in Serbia, according to Save the Children. They stay in accommodation centres across the country.

Young single men prefer to stay in Belgrade, on the streets, so they can be closer to the smugglers, says Tatjana Ristic from Save the Children in Serbia. They spend their days visiting the refugee centres, where they can charge their phones and access the internet. At night, they sleep in parks or in abandoned factories and buildings. 

“People are more vulnerable now because there is no system in place to protect them and they will only rely on smugglers,” says Tatjana. “Numbers are smaller, but the situation is worse.”

Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
An abandoned depot behind the central train station in Belgrade now serves as shelter for hundreds of refugees stranded in Serbia. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
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Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
A group of volunteers offer meals to refugees. According to UNHCR, there are 6,000 refugees in Serbia. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Refugees eat lunch near the abandoned depot that now serves as a shelter. Even if borders closed, there is an estimate of 200-300 refugees who arrive daily in Serbia. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Families with children account for 30-40 percent of the refugees stranded in Serbia [source/link]. They stay in accommodation centres across the country. Young, single men prefer to stay in Belgrade, on the streets. [Ioana Moldovan/ Al Jazeera]
Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Some of the arriving refugees have been stranded in refugee camps in Greece for a long time, but there are also new arrivals, people who arrived in Europe recently. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Refugees buy fruit in a market in the vicinity of the refugee aid centre, Miksaliste. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
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Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Refugees charge their phones in the Refugee Aid Miksaliste centre. Refugees spend time here during the day, getting warm, accessing the internet. Teenagers get English lessons. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Afghan teenagers spend time on Facebook at an information centre in central Belgrade. As most refugees spend time close to the central station, several aid centres have opened in the vicinity and operate daily. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Board with children's drawings in the refugee aid Miksaliste centre, depicting where is home for them in Belgrade. [Ioana Moldovan/ Al Jazeera]
Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Refugees buy food at a kiosk in the park located next to Belgrade's central train and bus station. The place has come to be known as 'Afghan Park'. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Refugees get warm at a kiosk in 'Afghan Park'. Most, about 70-80 percent of the refugees in Serbia are from Afghanistan. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Refugees sleep under a storeyed parking place adjacent to 'Afghan Park'. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Refugees keep warm near a fire in the abandoned depot behind the central train station in Belgrade, where they sleep during the night. The air is almost unbreathable from all the smoke. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]
Stranded Refugees / Please Do Not Use
Young single men prefer to stay on the streets in Belgrade rather than in centres across the country for fear it will take ages before they are processed and can move forward. Many of them try to cross illegally. [Ioana Moldovan/Al Jazeera]


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