Europe, Russia-Ukraine War

12,500 refugees from Ukraine came into Serbia since war began

2,500 refugees stayed in Serbia, most went on to other countries, says Commissariat for Refugees

Mustafa Talha Öztürk  | 17.03.2022 - Update : 17.03.2022
12,500 refugees from Ukraine came into Serbia since war began FILE PHOTO

BELGRADE, Serbia 

Of some 12,500 refugees from Ukraine that entered Serbia since the war began, about 2,500 remained during February and the first half of March, said an official on Thursday. 

Nikola Sakan from the Commissariat for Refugees told public broadcaster RTS that the vast majority of the refugees – most of whom are women with children – are in transit.

"We hand out brochures in Ukrainian with our phone number and email address, which they can contact at any time of the day or night if they have a problem or if they need additional information," said Sakan.

About 30 people are staying at centers run by the commissariat, mostly families with children. This gives them both food and warm shelter.

Sakan said that there are also families who stay in Serbia with friends or relatives who tell them to contact the local authorities in order to register their stay there.

He added that their team is constantly on duty at the Horgos crossing into Hungary, which borders Ukraine, adding that their job is to provide refugees from Ukraine with all the information about what services they can get in Serbia.

Most Ukrainian refugees in Serbia come by private car and then go on to Greece, Bulgaria, or Montenegro.

They get packages with food and personal care items from the commissariat.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial restrictions on Moscow and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.

At least 726 civilians have been killed and 1,174 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the UN, while noting that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.

More than 3 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, said the UN refugee agency.

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