25 May 2020

Online discussion „Protection of Migrant Children during the Coronavirus Outbreak“, organized by the Volunteer Service FPN KonekTaS (ФПН КонекТаС) was held on the Zoom platform on May 21^st 2020. FPN Professor Natalija Perišić, coordinator of the Migration, Integration and Governance Research Centre (MIGREC), Gordana Vukašin, representative of the NGO „Group 484”  and Sanja Živković, representative of the Institute for Education of Children and Youth – Niš, all participated in the discussion.

„Migration, Integration and Governance Research Centre (MIGREC) is aimed at building first class academic and research capacities in the field of migration studies at the University of Belgrade – Faculty of Political Science. The project should provide for efficient contribution of Belgrade researchers, through policies and practice, to challenges deriving from multiple and intertwined changes which currently both Serbia and the European Union are facing with“,  Prof. Perišić said. She further explained that migration trends and challenges in Serbia are influenced by numerous factors, including social, economic, demographic and geopolitical ones. „The outcomes this project is aimed at are creation of the MIGREC research centre and accreditation of doctoral studies in the field of migration at the University of Belgrade“, Prof. Perišić emphasized.

Gordana Vukašin from the NGO “Group 484” said that during the state of emergency the “Group 484” remained outside migrant camps, adding that it started to work on changing the activities to be realized in the coming period. „During the pandemic, with aid of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, we managed to provide sanitary parcels for all camps. Also, we helped organizations in Montenegro and North Macedonia.” She pointed out that a small number of children included into formal education system participated in online schooling during the pandemic due to, primarily, lack of motivation, translators and technical equipment.

„We are extremely worried by the increase of hate speech and intolerance against migrant population, when their children were characterized as rude, who can go out while others cannot. This was an incorrect information reported in media, which further caused many conflicts among children“, Sanja Živković said. She also said that the employees in the Institute for Upbringing of Children and Youth were delighted both with the childrens’ relation to the new situation and with their understanding and respect of measures they had to observe. „As for the psycho-social support, we are indeed thankful to governmental and non-governmental sector for the legal assistance and translators. We are also grateful to the organizations such are UNICEF and ‘Indigo’”, she stressed as well.

A vivid discussion evolved in which many participants shared their experience and expertise in the work with migrant children during the coronavirus outbreak in Serbia. Tamara Simonović from NGO “Indigo”, Janko Tabaković from the Home for children without parental care, Jelena Đurđević from the NGO JCR and Jelena Mijović from the “House of Rescue” shared their front-line impressions from the recent period. Bojan Stojanović from the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights made a short presentation of the activities of the Centre, from the point of view of challenges the Centre has been facing and initiatives commenced in front of competent institutions with a view to protecting the rights of migrants.

The discussion was moderated by Violeta Marković, BA with Hons. in Social Work.