On 23 December 2021, the BCHR hosted the final annual event Challenges in Refugees’ Integration Process in Serbia, Focusing on (Tertiary) Education in the Human Rights House. The BCHR has traditionally been holding final events on issues relevant to the integration of refugees in Serbia’s society at the end of the year.
The event provided the participants with the opportunity to discuss refugee integration in Serbia, share experiences and good practices and map the problems in the process. It was also an occasion to review the successful models of refugee integration via their access to tertiary education. The participants discussed the challenges faced in practice and the first steps of accessing high education, scholarship opportunities, cooperation with state institutions and heard about Italy’s successful practice in this area.
The event was moderated by Anja Stefanović, the Coordinator of the Asylum and Migration Programme. The first session was devoted to challenges refugee integration in Serbia faced in practice, with focus on the refugees’ access to tertiary education. The panellists included Dajena Ristić of the Serbian Refugee and Migration Commissariat, Ivana Jelić and Ksenija Papazoglu of the UNHCR Durable Solutions Team, Časlav Mitrović of the Serbian Qualification Agency, and Jelena Ilić, BCHR’s Senior Integration Adviser, who presented the BCHR integration team’s practice.
Michele Telaro, UNHCR Italy Durable Solutions Associate, joined the second session via ZOOM and presented the work of the Italy office, providing good practice examples concerning refugees’ access to high education.
Between the two sessions, Nina Miholjčić, BCHR’s Integration Advisor, presented the results of the public opinion survey on refugees/migrants.
The event was held in a hybrid format – the panellists met in the Human Rights House while the other participants followed the discussions live via ZOOM, BCHR’s YouTube channel and Facebook profile.
The event is available on the link below.