Saturday, 18.05.2013.
MIPEX Report Serbia
On 17 May 2013, in the Media Centre in Belgrade, a press conference at which results of the research on development of policies of migrant integration into the Serbian society was held. The research was conducted in cooperation with the Group 484 Centre for Migration and Migration Policy Group from Brussels.
The developmental level of migrant integration policies in Serbia was determined on the basis of the methodology called Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX). The Index is a reference guide and an interactive tool for assessment, comparison, and improvement of an integration policy. It is used in 31 countries of Europe and North America. For each of the 7 policy areas: labour market mobility, family reunion, education, political participation, long term residence, access to nationality, and anti-discrimination, MIPEX identifies the highest European or international standards aimed at achieving equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities for all residents. This methodology was developed by the Migration Policy Group (MPG) with the assistance of the British Council.
The methodology and findings were represented by Mr Thomas Huddleston, a policy analyst at the MPG, and Mr Vladimir Petronijevic, an Executive Director of Group 484. The Conference moderator was Ms Tanja Pavlov, Director of Group 484 Centre for Migration.
The research has shown that Serbia belongs to the countries that have slightly favourable policy, which ranks her among other countries from its neighbourhood. Further harmonisation of legislation with the EU acquis should be expected in future, particularly the legislation regulating the status of foreigners and access to rights in Serbia. The best results have been shown in the field of anti-discrimination policy.
The Group 484 team for developing the MIPEX comprised of: Ms Tanja Pavlov, PhD, Director of Group 484 Centre for Migration, and Mr Vladimir Grcic, PhD, Institute for International Policy and Economy who researched the area of Labour Market Mobility. The areas of Family Reunion for third country nationals, Political Participation, and Long Term Residence were researched by: Mr Vladimir Petronijevic, Group 484 Executive Director, and Ms Miroslava Jelacic, a legal analyst in the Group 484 Centre for Migration. The area of education was researched by Danijela Petrovic, PhD, a professor at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade, and Tanja Pavlov, and the Discrimination area was researched by Mr Milan Antonijevic, an Executive Director of YUCOM and Vladimir Petronijevic. Thomas Huddleston was a mentor during the research and he included the data into the existing MIPEX base. The research was funded by the Think Tank Fund of the Open Society institute, Budapest.
At the Conference, the application of MIPEX in other countries in the region was announced – in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Macedonia, with the support of the Group 484 Center for Migration and Migration Policy Group from Brussels. This regional project is financially supported by the Balkan Fund for Democracy.
