Refugees i asylum seekers in Serbia, unimpeded access to at least basic banking products and services, such as payment accounts, which are necessary for their life, economic survival and integration, should be provided, concluded the round table "Financial Inclusion of Refugees - Significance, Challenges and Potential".
As announced by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), forcibly displaced persons have an essential need for payment accounts in order to be able to receive and use monthly wages or financial assistance, which is their basic right, directly related to the material conditions of acceptance defined in the Law on Asylum and Temporary Protection.
The round table on this topic was organized by UNHCR, with the aim of improving refugees' access to financial services. At the event, UNHCR and partners, including the Commissioner for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia and the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality of the Republic of Serbia, addressed the banking sector with the aim of facilitating and improving access to payment accounts for refugees and asylum seekers.
Joint effort of several actors
The head of the UNHCR Representation in Serbia, Sufijan Adjali, said that the removal of obstacles to financial inclusion and the implementation of good practices will enable all relevant actors to jointly ensure that refugees in Serbia have the opportunity to realize their full economic potential.
"This would not only improve the lives of people who were forced to leave their countries, but also benefit the community and the economy in Serbia, by creating a more diverse, inclusive and prosperous society," said Adjali, stressing that improving the financial inclusion of refugees requires a joint effort. several actors, and that UNHCR is at the disposal of financial institutions.
The Deputy Commissioner for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia, Svetlana Velimirović, pointed out that opening an account is a prerequisite for exercising the right to work, while the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality pointed out that, for a consumer who has legal residence in the Republic of Serbia and does not have an open payment account, the bank should enable the opening and use of a payment account with basic services, whereby the conditions for opening, maintaining and closing these accounts must be non-discriminatory.
Examples of good practice from Europe were also presented at the meeting, noting that enabling basic financial services contributes to the fight against money laundering and reduces the risks of illegal activities.
This activity is part of the project "European Union Support for Migration Management in Serbia: Promoting the Integration of Refugees and Migrants". The project is financially supported by the EU. The project is implemented by UNHCR Serbia in partnership with IOM Serbia and the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia.
