This country profile describes well-developed areas and areas with potential for further development in the Republic of Serbia’s (hereafter Serbia) migration governance structures, as evaluated by the six domains of the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI). These address migrants’ rights, a whole-of-government approach, partnerships, socioeconomic well-being of migrants, the mobility dimension of crises, and safe and orderly migration.

Click the icons on the wheel to explore the key findings.

The Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) initiative is a policy-benchmarking programme led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and implemented with the support of the Economist Intelligence Unit. Funding is provided by the Government of Sweden.

Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas: 

• All foreigners, including labour migrants, who hold a residence permit have the right to health protection in Serbia. Refugees and individuals with subsidiary protection status, asylum-seekers, refugees from former Yugoslavia and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and non-nationals holding a temporary or permanent residence permit have access to government-funded health services.
• Non-nationals who have been granted temporary or permanent residence in Serbia and those who have been granted asylum can apply for work permits, according to Serbia’s Act on the Employment of Foreigners. Foreigners holding a work permit enjoy the same labour and social rights as Serbian national employees.
• Serbia is a party to numerous international conventions and frameworks that include the rights of migrants, including the Convention of the Rights of the Child, the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and the Conventions on Statelessness. 

Areas with potential for further development: 

• Only Serbian nationals are permitted to work as civil servants in the public sector.
• Serbia has not ratified the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICRMW).

Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas:

• Horizontal coordination between institutions is ensured through several inter-ministerial bodies: the Coordination Body for Migration Monitoring and Management, the Council for the Reintegration of Returnees, the ad hoc Working group on Mixed Migration Flows, and the Technical Working Group for Development of the Migration Profile.
• Vertical coordination is ensured through local Migration Councils, who report to the national Commissariat for Refugees and Migration on migration issues in the territory of the municipalities and autonomous provinces.
• There are legal and regulatory frameworks in place for immigration, emigration, internal displacement, forced displacement and human trafficking.
• The Commissariat for Refugees and Migration has collected and published migration data on an annual basis since 2010 in the Migration Profile of the Republic of Serbia.

Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas:

• Serbia participates in several multilateral and regional partnerships, such as the Budapest Process, the Regional Cooperation Council and the Prague Process. 
• Serbia’s partnership with the European Union was reinforced with the signing of a Stabilization and Association Agreement in 2008.
• Specific migration issues between Serbia and other countries are regulated through bilateral agreements, such as those concerning readmission with each EU Member State.

The Government of Serbia includes civil society actors in the development of migration policy, for example, through the Office for Cooperation with Civil Society, which was established in 2011.

Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas:

• International students can enroll in education programmes under the same conditions as Serbian nationals. They can also work during their studies for a maximum of 20 hours per week.
• Serbia has mechanisms in place to protect immigrants working in the country and its nationals working abroad. Because of national legislation harmonization with the EU, Serbia’s framework to protect the rights of emigrant workers is largely in line with international standards.

Areas with potential for further development: 

• There is no defined programme for managing labour immigration, or specific visa schemes in place to meet demand for skills.
• Remittance flows take place outside the financial system. There are no programmes in place to promote the use of formal financial institutions to transfer money or reduce fees.

Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas:

• Humanitarian assistance is provided regardless of migration status, and is coordinated by the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration.
• Authorities use several types of communication systems to spread information on the evolving nature of crises, including channels to reach immigrants.
• A response plan was adopted in 2015 to be able to effectively respond to rapid increases in the number of migrants and asylum-seekers entering Serbia. The plan is regularly updated according to need.

Areas with potential for further development:

• There is currently no comprehensive policy or legislative framework that addresses environmental degradation and the adverse effects of climate change.
• The National Strategy for Protection and Rescue in Emergency Situation, adopted in 2011, does not include specific provisions for addressing the displacement impacts of disasters.

Migration Governance: Examples of well-developed areas:

• Border control and enforcement is managed centrally, by the Ministry of Interior’s Border Police Directorate. 
• The website of Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs clearly indicates visa options and eligibility criteria.
• The Centre for Human Trafficking Victims Protection publishes monthly statistical data on human trafficking, as well as annual work reports. 

Areas with potential for further development:

• There is currently no comprehensive system to monitor visa overstays.
• Visa applications can only be submitted in hard copy to Serbian embassies or consulates prior to arrival.