"Number of asylum seekers did not increase"

BELGRADE Tanja Miscevic says that although Serbia is in second place by the number of people seeking asylum in Germany, that number "has not increased." A great number of asylum seekers who are Serbian citizens remains in Germany, and in this Serbia is behind only Syria, according to the latest data of the German police. "Number of asylum seekers did not increase" Miscevic, who heads the team for negotiations with the EU, says the situation is still difficult, but that the authorities will do everything not to jeopardize "our way towards the EU." Only in October, according to the German police, 1,553 Serbian citizens sought asylum. However the numbers of the Serbian side are different. "According to information I have, and this is precisely the data that has recently arrived, we have no increase, but rather a reduction of false asylum seekers. The figure is too small for it to be credible and indicate a trend, and of course that does not relieve us of further work. We must continue to work, of course in partnership with Germany, in finding solutions that will be most effective," she told B92. The data submitted to the Serbian officials showed the number of false asylum seekers decreased by 50 and was about 1,200. Miscevic believes this is not "a mitigating circumstance," and stressed it was an obligation "of our side to suppress this phenomenon as much as possible." "We tried with a big request to Germany, and that is to declare Serbia a safe country, but in terms of Germany's conditions that system does not function in the same way as in other countries, even when you come from a safe country and are seeking asylum - the procedure takes three months in that case as well," she said, and added that it was "a serious problem, but we cannot solve it alone and must solve in partnership with Germany." Miscevic on Wednesday also called on the business community and managers in Serbia to actively engage in the negotiation process with the EU, saying that "at this point there are no clear suggestions as to what should be developed in the Serbian economy," and, "what to defend in the negotiations." (Beta, file) B92

"Number of asylum seekers did not increase"

Miščević, who heads the team for negotiations with the EU, says the situation is still difficult, but that the authorities will do everything not to jeopardize "our way towards the EU."

Only in October, according to the German police, 1,553 Serbian citizens sought asylum. However the numbers of the Serbian side are different.

"According to information I have, and this is precisely the data that has recently arrived, we have no increase, but rather a reduction of false asylum seekers. The figure is too small for it to be credible and indicate a trend, and of course that does not relieve us of further work. We must continue to work, of course in partnership with Germany, in finding solutions that will be most effective," she told B92.

The data submitted to the Serbian officials showed the number of false asylum seekers decreased by 50 and was about 1,200. Miščević believes this is not "a mitigating circumstance," and stressed it was an obligation "of our side to suppress this phenomenon as much as possible."

"We tried with a big request to Germany, and that is to declare Serbia a safe country, but in terms of Germany's conditions that system does not function in the same way as in other countries, even when you come from a safe country and are seeking asylum - the procedure takes three months in that case as well," she said, and added that it was "a serious problem, but we cannot solve it alone and must solve in partnership with Germany."

Miščević on Wednesday also called on the business community and managers in Serbia to actively engage in the negotiation process with the EU, saying that "at this point there are no clear suggestions as to what should be developed in the Serbian economy," and, "what to defend in the negotiations."