Help on the route

Fostering protection of human rights of migrants passing through Macedonia and Serbia

The Project “HELP ON THE ROUTE- Fostering protection of human rights of migrants passing through Macedonia and Serbia” is implemented by the Ana and  Vlade Divac Foundation in partnership with the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Deutschland - ASB, Macedonian Helsinki Committee - MHC (Macedonia), and Novi Sad Humanitarian Centre - NSHC (Serbia). The Action lasts for two years (2016-2018) and will be implemented on the territory of Macedonia and Serbia. 

There are three main problems that have been identified in both countries:

1. The lack of clearly defined governments’ policies for implementation of human rights conventions and for protection of human rights of migrants;

2. The social climate of impunity for human rights violations, fuelled by the popular resentment and fear of the migrants, strongly contributed to by     the sensationalist media;

3. The lack of knowledge and capacity of the civil society organizations that provide immediate aid and assistance to the migrants.

Taking into account everything mentioned above, the main objective of the project is: to contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights of migrants, including asylum seekers, passing through Macedonia and Serbia.  

The specific objectives of the project are:

• to empower local CSOs aiding the migrants through networking and capacity building

• to create a more enabling environment for eradication and prevention of the migrants’ human rights violations through advocacy of policies ensuring migrants’ human rights protection, and through awareness-raising.

As part of the project, recommendations for government authorities and decision-makers will be devloped,  in order to improve existing instruments for protection of human rights of migrants and  national legislation on asylum procedures.

Through the project, 20 civil society organizations (5 in Macedonia and 15 in Serbia) got financial support to strengthen their capacity to identify, document and report violations of human rights of migrants and asylum seekers. In Serbia: Adventist Development and Relief Agency - ADRA Srbija, Balkan center for migration and humanitarian activities, Centar za aktivizam Vranje, Centar za obrazovne politike, Center for Development and integration, Organizacija za razvoj i demokratiju Bujanovac, Beogradski centar za ljudska prava, Jesuit Refugee Service - JRS, Pomoć deci, Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, Centar CZKD, Centar za kriznu politiku i reagovanje, Centar Inventiva, Inicijativa za razvoj i saradnju, Psyhological Innovation Network - PIN, Udruženje građana Sigma Plus.  

The project is funded by the European Union as part of the European Instrument for democracy and human rights (EIDHR, global call 2015).