Photo: APC
Source: APC

 

Reception Center (RC) Principovac (Sot/Šid): Isolation of the camp: For the purchase of water, additional food, soap, shampoo, etc., it is necessary to walk about four kilometers to the nearest shop, or about eleven kilometers to Šid.
Problem of access to food after the last meal at 6 p.m.: The last meal is served at 6 p.m., while breakfast is served only at 9 a.m. the next day. Due to the distance of the shops, camp residents have no possibility to buy additional food, fruit or snacks, which particularly affects persons without their own financial means.
Electricity turned off in sockets in rooms: Mobile phones can be charged only in the hallway, where there are three sockets, or in the IT corner, with one computer and one additional socket. The limited number of charging places often leads to verbal conflicts and quarrels.
Accommodation conditions in Principovac are generally satisfactory when it comes to cleanliness of rooms, bedding, shared bathrooms and toilets.

Reception Center (RC) Preševo: During this week, persons originating from Afghanistan, Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan and Syria stayed in RC Preševo, and the stay in the camp is still very short – between two and six days.
Complaints about poor hygienic conditions remain frequent: lack of hygiene products, bedbugs in mattresses and dirty blankets, lack of shampoo, poor quality of food, as well as insufficient clothing.

Reception Center (RC) Bujanovac: The problem of lack of drinking water continued during this week, reported by different groups of camp residents, including younger unaccompanied minors.
Regarding access to health care for adults and children and access to medicines, families with babies and children state that they received milk and diapers in the camp, but not the medicines prescribed by doctors and issued on prescription.
Increase in the number of younger unaccompanied minors: During this week in RC Bujanovac an increased number of younger unaccompanied minors was recorded, mostly originating from Afghanistan (born 2009–2010).
One group of three minors was part of a larger group of about 30 persons apprehended in the vicinity of Subotica, after which they were relocated to RC Bujanovac, and the larger part of the group to RC Preševo.

Police conduct – Belgrade: Reported confiscation of money and phones without issuing confirmation of temporary seizure of items: Certain persons originating from Afghanistan, J.M. (2004), M.S. (2004) and N.K. (1998), state that police stopped them in Belgrade, confiscated mobile phones and 200 euros each, which were not returned after release. After one night spent in the police station they were relocated to Preševo.
Persons originating from Ukraine and Russia testify to difficulties in communication with police due to misunderstanding and technical problems, in the process of obtaining temporary protection. Thus, on July 23 one person from Ukraine missed a scheduled appointment at the police because her mobile phone was broken and she did not receive the message. The next day at the police station she received a new registration certificate for her daughter and was referred to AC Obrenovac to submit a request for temporary protection. She stated that she had no financial means to travel to Obrenovac within the prescribed 72 hours.

Border with Hungary: Attempts to cross the border were recorded, in addition to the areas of Subotica and Horgoš, also in the vicinity of Sombor.
Detentions in the border area daily: Unaccompanied minors stated that police in the vicinity of Subotica stopped and detained them after they separated from their group to buy food: W.N. (2010), A.M. (2009) and M.S. (2009) stated that police in the vicinity of Subotica directed them to return to their group, after which the whole group was detained. The minors were then relocated to RC Bujanovac.
In the period from July 20 to 24, 2026, Hungarian border police pushbacked to Serbia a total of 33 persons originating from Afghanistan and Turkey, while a total of 48 persons were prevented from crossing. What can be observed, according to the statements of persons who were pushbacked, is that it is often the case that a larger part of the group passes (10–20 people), i.e. escapes, while a smaller number is detained.
Pushback of a family with a baby: The H. family was the only family in a group of about 35 migrants who attempted to cross the border in the vicinity of Sombor. According to their statements, Hungarian police located them with a drone, after which the other members of the group fled, while the family was detained by Hungarian police. After two hours of detention they were pushbacked to Serbia, and according to their statements, they spent 48 hours in very poor conditions in the police station in Subotica, with insufficient air in the room.

Border with Bosnia and Herzegovina: Increase in use of the route through Bosnia and Herzegovina as an alternative to crossings of the border with Hungary.
This week more persons report using the route from Belgrade to Loznica, crossing the Drina by boat or on foot across the bridge, staying several days in Bosnia and Herzegovina, attempting entry into Croatia, being returned (pushback) to Bosnia and Herzegovina by Croatian police, voluntary return to Serbia and then detention by Serbian police near Loznica, and then relocation to camps in the south of Serbia.
I.Y. (2002) and A.R.B. (2005), persons originating from Pakistan, after five days of stay in Belgrade, crossed into BiH and stayed six days in Velika Kladuša. After attempting entry into Croatia they were returned by Croatian police to BiH, and then returned to Serbia where border police detained them near Loznica and then relocated them to the reception center in Preševo.

Southeastern border: Entries via Bulgaria remain the most intensive entry route: Persons most often enter on foot, in groups of twenty to thirty people, after which smugglers transport them by vehicles directly to Belgrade or first to Niš, from where they continue by bus.
Smugglers organize vehicles and GPS locations immediately after crossing the border, accommodation in apartments, most likely in cooperation with local criminal groups in Belgrade, several day stays in forests in the vicinity of Subotica, GPS location and guides for passing through the fence.
Two minors originating from Afghanistan, K.T. (2010) and H.K. (2010), stated that they stayed seven days in such accommodation before police transferred them to RC Bujanovac.

Price of smuggling services reported by persons, according to country of origin, to Serbia:
Morocco – 5,500 euros
Afghanistan – between 4,200 and 7,400 euros
Egypt – between 6,000 and 6,300 euros
Pakistan – 7,000 euros
A family from Afghanistan paid 3,000 euros for the journey from Greece to Serbia.