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Initiative focusing on Serbian refugees' livelihoods, self-reliance, and housing issues, aiming for local integration or return to Croatia.
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The High Commissioner’s Initiative on Protracted Refugee Situations focuses on five situations in different parts of the world where refugees have been living in exile for long periods of time. Particular attention is payd to the promotion of livelihoods and self-reliance. • Bosnian and Croatian refugees in Serbia were one of the identified situations in need of support.
In December 2008 a High level meeting took place in Geneva between the High Commissioner and a Serbian delegation. • Both parties agreed to make a last effort towards ensuring that the remaining refugees in Serbia would find a durable solution and that within a two year period this particular situation would finally be resolved. • In that context, SCR organised and carried out the survey based on a sample of some 800 families living in private accommodation (PA) and with assistance from UNHCR for the interviewing of all refugee families residing in collective centres (CCs).
The highlights of the research are: • Unemployment rate among refugees is 33%, significantly higher than in local population; • 29% of refugees have monthly income less then EUR 48, which is a threshold for social welfare benefits; • 61% of refugees do not have a housing solution; • Only 5% of refugees opted for repatriation to their country of origin.
Results of the survey in CCs • Out of 1,252 refugees in CCs, 1,217 were interviewed (97,20%) • The population in CCs is significantly older then in PA, single headed, mostly lives in extreme poverty • 60% considered to be EVI • Majority opted for Local Integration (93,43%)
Based on the research, proposed solutions for local integration have to be found through various local integration schemes, in the sphere of • housing • employment • legal assistance • support reintegration of those refugees who decide to return to their country of origin
PROTRACTED REFUGEE SITUATIONDURABLE SOLUTIONS ASSISTANCE FOR REFUGEES IN SERBIA • An estimated total of 5,000 refugees are expected to benefit directly from this project. An additional 20,000 people will benefit from the naturalization campaign and will take on citizenship of Serbia. • Budget for two years: USD 15,000,000
HOUSING • Households Merging • Cash and In-Kind Assistance Programme (PIKAP) • Dignified living conditions for EVI elderly refugees accommodated in CCs • Partial Self-Help (PSH-distribution of building materials) • Village Houses • Housing Micro Loans • Social Housing in a Supported Environment (SHSE)
SELF RELIANCE • Enhancement of Self-Reliance through income generation grants and training • Income Generation packages for Agricultural support • Vocational Training
LEGAL ASSISTANCE • Legal Counseling Network • Promotion of the Naturalization/Integration • Return to Croatia • Public Information Activities
Municipal Local Action Plans • UNHCR will support the local authorities in attaining durable solutions for the most vulnerable refugees to enable their socio-economic integration and self-reliance. This will be achieved through support to the municipal action plans prepared for implementation that will address the needs of refugees in target municipalities with central and local government support. • Consultative meetings between UNHCR, IOM Capacity Building Project, the Commissioner’s Office and other relevant stakeholders will be held and a Selection Committee comprised of UNHCR and SCR will be established to choose the municipalities and their action plans that will be supported.
