Yugoslavia: Further to YUG33272.E of 26 November 1999 and YUG33273.E of 29 November 1999, whether ethnic Serbs with family and personal histories of opposition to the Milosevic regime (an SPO member) could face or have faced problems of detention, beatings or refusal of re-entry to Yugoslavia after a failed asylum bid abroad; the fate of similarly situated individuals; whether it makes a difference if the claimant is from Kraljevo, near the Kosovo border (1999-June 2000)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 24 July 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | YUG34862.E |
| Reference | 7 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Yugoslavia: Further to YUG33272.E of 26 November 1999 and YUG33273.E of 29 November 1999, whether ethnic Serbs with family and personal histories of opposition to the Milosevic regime (an SPO member) could face or have faced problems of detention, beatings or refusal of re-entry to Yugoslavia after a failed asylum bid abroad; the fate of similarly situated individuals; whether it makes a difference if the claimant is from Kraljevo, near the Kosovo border (1999-June 2000), 24 July 2000, YUG34862.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ad7d5c.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Information on whether ethnic Serbs with family and personal histories of opposition to the Milosevic regime could face or have faced problems of detention, beatings or refusal of re-entry to Yugoslavia after a failed asylum bid abroad is scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
According to the coordinator of the legal department of the Humanitarian Law Centre, a Belgrade-based nongovernmental and nonprofit organization that monitors human rights abuses in Yugoslavia, ethnic Serbs who left the country between 24 March 1999 and 26 June 1999, when martial law was implemented, and whose asylum bid abroad failed, would be arrested upon their return to Yugoslavia if they are on the list held by the authorities of individuals accused of draft evasion (24 July 2000). She referred to cases of similarly situated individuals who were prosecuted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to seven years (ibid.). She also mentioned that the sentences tend to be more "severe" in the case of an opponent to the Milosevic regime, although she could not provide details in this regard (ibid.). She further stated that the authorities had sent call-up notices to most known political opponents and to almost all Serb men living in cities near the Kosovo border, including Kraljevo (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Humanitarian Law Centre (Belgrade). 24 July 2000. Telephone interview with the coordinator of the legal department.
Additional Sources Consulted
IRB Databases
LEXIS/NEXIS
Two oral sources could not provide information within the time constraints.
Internet sites including:
The Balkans Human Rights Web Pages
British Helsinki Human Rights Group
The Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)
The International Crisis Group (ICG)
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)
Transitions
World News Connection (WNC)
