Hans Friedrich Schodder

BELGRADE - A very small number of refugees - 50-60 - have chosen to stay and live in Serbia instead of moving on, and now they should have the opportunity to contribute to Serbian society in a positive way, Hans Friedrich Schodder, the UNHCR chief in Serbia, said Thursday.

A very small number of refugees - 50-60 - have chosen to stay and live in Serbia instead of moving on, says Hans Friedrich Schodder.

Now they should have the opportunity to contribute to Serbian society in a positive way, the UNHCR chief in Serbia said on Thursday.

PHOTO: TANJUG / NEMANJA JOVANOVIC

BELGRADE - A very small number of refugees - 50-60 - have chosen to stay and live in Serbia instead of moving on, and now they should have the opportunity to contribute to Serbian society in a positive way, Hans Friedrich Schodder, the UNHCR chief in Serbia, said Thursday.

The number of migrants in Serbia had decreased, but their stay in the country had been drastically prolonged.

This is according to head of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Serbia Hans Friedrich Schodder, who spoke on Thursday in Adasevci, near Sid in northeastern Serbia.

1,500-2,000 refugees remain in Serbia in the wake of the closure of the Balkan migrant route at midnight.

UNHCR Representative in Serbia Hans Friedrich Schodder said this on Wednesday.

Nebojsa Stefanovic and Hans Friedrich Schodder on Monday "discussed the latest events concerning the large influx of migrants and refugees in Europe."

Serbia's interior minister and the UNHCR representative also spoke about the migrants' "transit through the Western Balkans."

USD 47 million will be available to Serbia if it follows other countries and closes its borders to refugees, UNHCR's representative in Serbia has said.

Serbia will not be a buffer zone for refugees, Hans Friedrich Schodder. told the RTS, noting that UNHCR is helping the authorities to deal with the crisis.

UNHCR Representative in Serbia Hans Friedrich Schodder thinks it is "unlikely" the country will see "a high concentration of refugees."

"We should not panic, worry too much, the number (of migrants) is reduced to less than 2,000 per day, as opposed to 10,000 in October. Now we are looking for a sustainable solution," Schodder told Serbia's state broadcaster RTS.

Aleksandar Vucic says Serbia will continue to manage the migration crisis "responsibly and in accordance with European standards."

The prime minister made the statement on Tuesday in Belgrade during his meeting with UNHCR chief in Serbia Hans Friedrich Schodder.

Since June, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has donated equipment worth over USD 264,000 to Serbian police at the Presevo reception center.

This is according to UNHCR Representative in Serbia Hans Friedrich Schodder, who spoke during the weekend, announcing that that the UN refugee agency would provide USD 16 million in aid to Serbia in 2016.