General Situation:
The camp of Sid is at the border between Serbia and Croatia. About 3000 refugees are transiting through Sid every day in the past week. Usually, refugees are just expecting some hours in the camp before boarding the train which is leaving to Croatia. It is an accommodation center where refugees can rest while they are waiting for the train. It is separated in two parts: One part is in Adasevci where the buses coming from Presevo are arriving directly. There, refugees can have access to a medical help and receive food, water and clothes. The second part is in Sid, close to the train station. This part is composed of two heated tents and one house with beds. It received refugees who arrived to Sid by trains or taxis, or refugees who do not have or lost an authorization to remain in Serbia or who entered illegally on the Serbian territory. Refugees without an authorization can remain in the camp for some days, the time to be delivered a new one and to continue their travel. If they are not delivered an authorization because they are not from Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan, they will be sent to the asylum center in Krnjača where the Serbian authorities will control their identity and where they can apply for asylum. About 400 people are in this second part, of which 30 are not identified as Syrians, Iraqis or Afghans.
The general situation in the camp was good. Food distribution was done efficiently by the Red Cross and refugees could receive blankets from the UNHCR. They were free to move in the camp to go to the medical center or to the clothes container. Police is reduced to the minimum, being active just for the management of the boarding into the trains.
Observations:
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Transit: The transit in Sid was good yesterday as the registration is done previously in Presevo. Refugees are just controlled when they arrived to the camp in Adasevci and those without authorization are sent to the camp close to the train station. Refugees were given food and water when they were entering into the camp. About 3 trains per day are leaving from Sid. When a train is arriving, the boarding is well organized. First, refugees from the camp close to the station are boarding and then the ones from the camp in Adasevci are driven to the station for boarding.
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Sanitation: Sanitations (toilets, water valves and sinks) are installed in both camps of Sid. Refugees were complaining that toilets were dirty and outside in the cold. They could also not get access to hot water as water valves are just providing cold water, which is not convenient to wash.
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Tents: In the camp close to the train station, the tents are supposed to be heated but it appears that the heating was not functioning and it was quite cold inside. Inside the tents, there are just benches but no beds to lay down. The camp at the station has a house with beds, but refugees can access it just during the night.
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WIFI: The camps are equipped with WIFI networks for the refugees.
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Clothes distribution: Refugees can get clothes in the camp, but most of the winter clothes (jackets and pulls) are lacking and are just available for children.
Volunteers:
The camps are not taking volunteers who are coming spontaneously and who are not registered in advance. It is better to contact the camp in advance to ask if they need help.
Photos © Marc-Antoine Frébutte
A long way from home 