Advocating for Ukrainian Refugees in Southeast Europe

espite experiencing better treatment than migrants from other countries, Ukrainian refugees in Croatia, Italy, Serbia and North Macedonia still face many challenges. BRN members in the region are helping Ukrainian families find housing, enrol their children in school, and access health care and other services.

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Asylum Protection Center (APC) in Serbia started pressuring its government to grant temporary protection to Ukrainian refugees.

APC’s advocacy campaign – which included media appearances and meetings with national and international stakeholders – paid off. In mid-March, the Serbian government granted Ukrainians temporary protection, a legal status that allows them to remain in the country and access free education and other services until it is safe for them to return home.

APC had previously advocated for the same legal status for refugees fleeing Syria, but the Serbian government had refused. Despite receiving better treatment than migrants from other regions, however, Ukrainian children and families in Serbia still encounter many obstacles.

One of the main challenges is access to information, especially for Ukrainian families staying in private accommodations elsewhere in the country. APC is disseminating information through its website, field mobile teams, phones, social networks and other channels so Ukrainians know how to register for temporary protection and how they can access local services.

Most Ukrainian children are not yet enrolled in local schools, APC said, because the schools haven’t received clear instructions from the Serbian government. APC plans to engage with schools to support their efforts to enrol Ukrainian refugees and hopes to share best practices for assisting children who have experienced trauma.

Since the war started, more than 7,500 Ukrainians have stayed desiring to apply for temporary protection in Serbia, according to APC, but the Serbian government has been slow to approve their requests. Without proof that they have legal status in Serbia, some Ukrainian families have been turned away from health centres and jobs. APC staff are accompanying refugees to medical appointments to ensure they receive care while also pushing the government to develop a more efficient temporary protection process.

Most of the Ukrainian refugees in Serbia are women and children because men below the age of 60 have been banned from leaving Ukraine. This family separation takes a toll on the mental health of children and their parents, and APC anticipates a growing need for psychosocial support.

“They’re separated, the family is broken, and they’re afraid of what’s happening with their boys or fathers,” explained Rados Djurovic, APC’s Executive Director.

Neighbouring Croatia, where more than 15,000 Ukrainians have fled since the war started, has also granted temporary protection to Ukrainian refugees. As in Serbia, however, access to information remains a challenge.

Centre for Peace Studies (CPS) has tried to fill in the gaps, visiting refugee reception centres, answering questions, and providing legal aid to families.

Although many Ukrainian children have been able to enrol in Croatian primary and high schools, families with young children are struggling to find spots in kindergartens, which were already over capacity before the refugees arrived. Some children have also struggled with Croatian language lessons, which are mainly offered online, said Sara Kekuš, a CPS Project Manager. “For kids who need to be with their peers and socialize, it would be great to have live lessons,” she said.

Many of the Ukrainians who have fled to the Balkans so far have resources and local contacts, such as friends or family with whom they can stay. But APC and CPS anticipate that, as the war drags on, Ukrainians with fewer resources will flee to their countries. “With time, I think people who don’t have anyone here will start arriving and they will need our support,” Sara said.

Not far from Croatia, in the north-eastern corner of Italy, Italian Consortium of Solidarity (ICS) is helping Ukrainian children enrol in local schools. More than 45,000 Ukrainians have passed through this area of Italy on their way to other parts of Europe, according to ICS, and roughly 750 have remained in the city of Trieste.

While Ukrainian refugees have experienced fewer obstacles enrolling in school than refugees from Asia and Africa, ICS said, they still need support adapting to a new language and culture.  

“We help in the school, we go with families to the school, we help with enrolment, buy the books, everything,” explained Anna Bernardini, an ICS Coordinator. ICS staff also help families find after-school and summer programs for their children and access accommodations, legal aid, mental health support, and other services.

“For now, Ukrainian refuges are rarely staying in N. Macedonia, although we are trying to provide information, humanitarian aid and other support to each of Ukrainian refugees in need in our country,” explains Jasmin Redjepi, General Secretary of Legis, local well-known grassroots, prominent in protecting refugees and exiles in North Macedonia.

All four BRN organizations hope to build on the legal protections and services offered to Ukrainian refugees to improve the treatment of migrants from Asia and Africa, who often experience discrimination because of their race and religion.

Rados said he hopes APC’s recent success securing temporary protection for Ukrainians has laid the groundwork for similar protections for refugees from other countries. “Once you open the door of temporary protection, it means that you can advocate more, you’re stronger in every step,” he said.