16.04.2020.

Minister Vulin: All migrants are subject to 24-hour quarantine until the crisis has passed

The Minister of Defence and the Head of the Working Group on Migration, Aleksandar Vulin, visited the Reception Centre in Obrenovac today, where capacities for the accommodation of migrants were expanded, and a new facility in the area was donated by the “Millennium Team”.

After the visit, Minister Vulin expressed his gratitude to the “Millennium Team” Company for finding a way to help us in these difficult times.

- Migrants will be housed here and that is to help migrants, but first and foremost it is to help all the citizens of Serbia. If they were not housed here, if they were not housed in our barracks, if they did not have proper conditions provided by the “Millennium Team”, they would be on the streets of our cities today, they would pose a safety and health hazard to all our citizens today. In this way, we enable them to spend their time undisturbed, but we also protect ourselves in every way and make sure that there is no danger to the health or safety of any Serbian citizen - said Minister Vulin.

The Minister of Defence thanked all the companies that have recognized that now is the time to help.

- We need help now; we will not need help when all this has passed. I am truly grateful to “Millennium Team” for being here and for helping the Ministry of Defence, the Commissariat for Refugees, its country, its citizens, by providing adequate accommodation for migrants - Minister Vulin emphasized.

According to him, the Serbian Armed Forces monitor all migrant camps and make sure that no one leaves them.

- Twenty-four-hour quarantine has been established for all migrants in our country until this danger has passed. And thanks to donations like this, we are able to do it humanely, safely, but most importantly, making sure that the citizens of Serbia are never and in no way endangered - Minister Vulin concluded.

Speaking about the donation to the Serbian Armed Forces, the Managing Director of “Millennium Team”, Stojan Vujko, said that it is "a pleasure and honour that the company can help the country in any way during the pandemic."

Commissioner for Refugees and Migration, Vladimir Cucić expressed his sincere gratitude to Minister Vulin for all the support he has provided over the years to the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia, as well as to the Serbian Armed Forces, which, he says, have done well in providing security to migrant centres.

- I am very happy with the fact that out of 8.800 people in the centres at the moment, no one shows any symptoms and that we have no problems. This is the result of all the measures we have been taking since the end of February. We were practically the first in Serbia to isolate - says Cucić, adding that in some of the migrant centres, migrants have been isolated for 32 days and in others for 46 days.

Speaking about the new facility, Cucić stressed that it will mean a lot because the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration is currently working in very specific conditions because 11 out of 15 facilities are being reconstructed.

During his visit to the Reception Centre in Obrenovac today, Minister Vulin also talked to members of the Serbian Armed Forces who keep watch over the centre.
According to Major Rade Lukić, Commander of the security forces at the Reception Centre in Obrenovac, the centre is monitored by members of the Military Police 24 hours a day.

- We control the entry into and exit out of the Reception Centre in Obrenovac and provide assistance to the Commissariat for Refugees and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I would like to emphasize that we haven’t had any problems so far and that we have excellent cooperation with them - said Major Lukić.