Republic of North Macedonia

Number of people served: 11,268

Because of its location on the border between Greece and the rest of Europe, hundreds of thousands of refugees, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, traveled through Macedonia in 2015 and 2016. Since borders closed in 2016, the situation has since stabilized, but some refugees still remain and seek asylum in the country.

Our Work in Macedonia

JRS Macedonia focuses on assisting asylum seekers accommodated at the Reception Center and in private accommodation. Foreigners/asylum seekers with the restriction of freedom of movement are assisted at the Reception Center for foreigners and refugees/migrants at the Transit Centers. 

 

The activities and services provided vary between each center and can be summed up as the following: 

Reception Center:

  1. Social protection
  2. Social corner (interaction, games, TV, coffee, tea, cookies, reading books, food supplements)
  3. Pre-school kindergarten; sports activities (football, basketball, Ping-Pong, athletic gymnastic)
  4. Free legal aid and legal counseling

Reception Center for foreigners (Detention Center): 

  1. Psycho-social support
  2. Food supplement, coffee, tea, cookies, Ping-Pong, social games, basic medicine support, basic hygiene kit
  3. Communication room; gym room manage by the JRS Macedonia
  4. Free legal aid and legal counseling

Transit Center Vinojug and Transit Center Tabanovce: 

  1. Social protection
  2. Psychosocial support into basic needs and services
  3. Social activities (interaction, coffee, tea, cookies), food supplements, basic medicine support, basic hygiene kit
  4. Free legal aid and legal counseling

 

Documents:

Signed MoU with the Ombudsman; Written approval from the Director of the Public Security Bureau, Ministry of Interior for access in the Reception Center for foreigners, Skopje, and Signed MoU with the Ministry of Justice for free legal aid. 

Education Education is a life-saving intervention that helps displaced children and families to see beyond their displacement.
Education
Advocacy Advocacy aims to shape laws, policies, and public opinion to be just and generous for the benefit of victims of forced displacement.
Advocacy
Emergency Assistance In crisis and conflict, relief assistance – shelter, food, water, sanitation, and non-food items – are needed to ensure the survival of people in emergency situations.
Emergency Assistance
Health Care Health services are often needed to help refugees through their displacement and effectively reduce health risks.
Health Care
Livelihoods Livelihoods programs and opportunities focus on empowerment, self-reliance, and sustainability.
Livelihoods
Psychosocial Support Displaced people often experience trauma due to their displacement. These services aim to meet the variety of complex spiritual and psychosocial needs.
Psychosocial Support
Protection Protection services provide effective case management and legal assistance to ensure full respect for the rights of displaced individuals.
Protection

A migrant at the border town of Lojane, Macedonia. (Jesuit Refugee Service)

Contact

JRS Macedonia Country Director 

Dejan Stračkovski  

dejan.strackovski@jrs.net 

Project locations: 

Skopje, Transit Center Vinojug-Gevgelija, Transit Center Tabanovce