The number of asylum requests in the Republic of Macedonia is on the rise. While there were 2010 asylum seekers in 180, in 2013 their number rose to 1343 people, including 582 who fled the violence in Syria. Data from 2014 show that this year the demand is even higher. In 2014, ten asylum seekers from Syria were granted refugee status. There are many who leave Macedonia before they receive the final decision. A small number of asylum seekers are waiting for the decision of the first instance which, according to the law, should be delivered six months from the time the application is submitted.
Asylum seekers have different motives and expectations when they leave Macedonia, which also depends on their country of origin. For example, asylum seekers from Syria told us that they have family members in certain European countries and their ultimate goal is to be reunited with them. Many of them want to go to Sweden, Italy, Germany or France. Some believe that it would be easier for them to build their lives in Western Europe.
In Macedonia, all asylum seekers have accommodation and basic support provided by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy. With this, they can cover their basic needs during their stay in the reception center while they wait for the final decision. However, as already mentioned, the number of those who stay until the end of the procedure is smaller. There is only one reception center for asylum seekers in the country and it is located in the town of Vizbegovo, which is located about three kilometers from the center of Skopje. The center has a capacity for 150 people and offers separate accommodation for singles and families. Also, access to services is only available through the reception center. People can live outside the center, but then it is at their own expense.
The Republic of Macedonia has built an effective integration system for persons who are guaranteed international protection. The system was originally established to work with refugees who came from Kosovo, but remained functional for new arrivals. Also, the Government has issued a Strategy for the Integration of Refugees and Foreigners, and there is also an Integration Center established within the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.
When it comes to asylum policy, the candidacy of the Republic of Macedonia is definitely the initiator of positive changes. Our country has taken further steps to bring the national legislation closer to the legal acquis of the European Union, which establishes the minimum standards for the conditions for the admission of asylum seekers and the procedures for issuing and revoking refugee status. The first Law on Asylum and Temporary Protection has been in force since 2004, and has been amended several times in order to comply with EU legislation. However, one of the main problems is the lack of translators for some asylum seekers, given that in the Republic of Macedonia, the law requires official translators to be involved in the process of interviews and hearings, and there are no translations for Pashtun, Farsi, Urdu, Somali.
The Republic of Macedonia is located on the so-called Balkan migration route that goes from Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia to the EU countries. If we take into account the most recent Frontex annual report, we can see that more than 17.000 irregular migrants have passed the Balkan route and states must make an additional effort to protect basic human rights as well as the proper identification of people in need of international protection within mixed migration groups.
The authors are from MUMP
The Macedonian Association of Young Lawyers (MUMP) is a non-governmental organization founded in 2003 that, in partnership with UNHCR, provides legal assistance to asylum seekers and stateless persons in the Republic of Macedonia since 2010. Over the years, MUMP has gained experience in disputes concerning human rights violations, closely monitors the development of the state system for asylum seekers and fosters cooperation with all relevant actors. The Macedonian Association of Young Lawyers has an office in the center and our lawyers provide asylum seekers with legal assistance regarding their rights and obligations in the country.
