"Serbia won't take 50,000 migrants" - minister

"Serbia won't take 50,000 migrants" - minister

"50,000 people are not Serbia's obligations and they will not be in Serbia. It is the obligation of Greece is to accommodate 50,000 people, while another 50,000 will be in all the other Balkan countries," Vulin told reporters on Monday..

During the summit in Brussels on Sunday, said Vulin, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and prime ministers of other countries that are also affected by the migrant crisis "tried and largely succeeded in finding the best mechanism so that it's easier for everyone, to share problems, but without burdening anyone particularly."

The minister today toured the temporary reception center Adasevci near Sid, in north-western Serbia, and stressed afterwards that migrants are not staying in the country but are transiting it, "and that's why Serbia is repairing temporary reception centers that are located on the migrant route."

As he said, "even if the meeting in Brussels never took place, Serbia would not have allowed a single child to freeze."

"We are a step ahead of the rest, and work had started on adapting this facility as a reception center even before the meeting in Brussels, and we have already announced we will build small temporary centers where people will be able to rest, get food, medicine," said Vulin.

Asked where the money for the reconstruction of reception centers will come from, Vulin said that Serbia "expects help from international organizations" and "stressed that the loans will not be taken out, and that money will not be allocated from the (state) budget," the Tanjug agency reported.

Vulin, who is in charge of labor, employment, and social and veteran affairs in the cabinet, will in the future also be responsible for coordinating with other countries that are on the route taken by migrants.

According to Vulin, a system of coordination will be established among all the countries on the migrant route.

"This is an attempt, and I'm sure it will be successful, to establish a unique system of communication from the first to the last country through which they refugees are passing," said the minister.

Speaking about the decision to deploy members of the EU agency Frontex as monitors on the border crossings between Serbia and Croatian, Vulin said that was " good and useful for us."

"They will check whether all refugees are registered, which suits us, since they are all registered with us, and it is very important that this process of registration is established in other countries," said Vulin.

At yesterday's meeting, said Vulin, all countries recognized that Serbia has done a remarkable job, and is "greatly respected for its behavior."

Asked how many reception centers will be built in Serbia, he replied, "as many as necessary," and added that the government policy is "to open to a larger number of smaller-sized reception centers."

The Adasevci center, with 250 beds and 250 seats, is expected to be open in a few days. Asked about the situation at the border crossing Berkasovo with Croatia, Vulin there were currently no problems and that migrants are being let through "at relatively short intervals."