New funding from the European Union will allow IOM to identify and provide adequate housing and livelihood support to vulnerable refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in collective centres or with host families.

As part of this 15-month project, a 12-unit apartment building will be built in the northern Indija municipality and pre-fabricated houses will be made available to refugee families living in the Pecinci, Kladovo and Krusevac municipalities.

IOM will also set up income-generating activities for vulnerable individuals in the southern Nis municipality, which has one of the largest displaced populations in the country. IOM will also work with its local NGO partner ENECA to provide beneficiaries with information, counselling and referral services (ICRS) to help them access vocational and business training and micro grants.

The grants, of an amount of up to 1500 Euros, are allocated for the creation or expansion of small and medium sized enterprise and are awarded on the basis of social and economic criteria as well as the economic viability of proposed projects.  

Up to 307,000 refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) remain in Serbia today, the highest combined figure in Europe. Most live in private accommodation, but some 5,000,  including a significant number of vulnerable people and minority groups, such as the Roma, remain in 60 collective centres.

For more information, contact:

Jovana Gusic
IOM Belgrade
Tel: + 381 63 214 254
E-mail: jgusic@iom.int