SERBIA IS WONDERFUL BUT LACKS ONE THING: Here's what asylum seekers in Belgrade complain about! (PHOTO)

On the way to a better life, one of the stops for a large number of migrants mainly from Syria and Afghanistan is Belgrade, where the railway and bus station serve as their informal gathering place.

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In these parks, between 500 and 700 people reside, of whom 90 percent have Germany as their final goal in mind.

They do not wish to be on camera. They fear for their relatives that were left behind in war zones. They have no objection to how the citizens of Serbia relate to them, and the only problem is the fact that they do not have toilets.

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In addition to representatives of the Belgrade's Centre for Human Rights, that provide them with legal assistance to asylum, they are visited by other non-governmental organizations whose volunteers provide them with the most basic necessities, mainly with personal hygiene and food.

Foto: Tanjug/Zoran Žestić

Help, in the form of clothing comes from the people. There are young and old, men and women alike, whole families. And while the adults have major concerns, the children, the older ones, it seems, play carefree.

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The image is surreal, but, unfortunately, according to the testimony of representatives of the Belgrade's Centre for human rights, real and common.

In the center of the Serbian capital, where people come and go to all parts of the country and the world, under the open sky and the heat of the summer, hundreds of people are lying, walking, waiting. In a word, living.

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Forced to change their quiet life in their countries with exile, the Belgrade park near the railway station, for them, on their way to what they believe is a better life, is their only home. There they sleep, eat, wash and dry laundry ...

Foto: Tanjug/Zoran Žestić

Nikolina Milić from the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights, together with colleagues is part of the field team that visits key places in the city daily and talks with an average of 200 people, always different.

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- They remain in Serbia for about two days. They come in from Preševo, to Belgrade and within about 20 hours, they are already on their way towards Subotica and Kanjiza. We rarely meet the same people two days in a row - explains Milic.

Most migrants, almost 50 percent, are from Syria and Afghanistan, but there are some from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan ...

Foto: Tanjug/Zoran Žestić

- In 90 percent of cases they go to Germany. Sweden, Finland, and all the Scandinavian countries are also mentioned, sometimes even France and the United Kingdom, primarily in refuges from Africa - tells Milic, adding that most of the problems they have are related to treatment when expressing their intent to seek asylum or to obtain a certificate.

There are no incidents, although, she says, among the individual states there are tensions but in these circumstances they mutually help each other.

Foto: Tanjug/Zoran Žestić

Every migrant is a story for themselves, and some of them are very distressing, says Milic, as an example, three professors who in their countries teach English, maths and biology, and two brothers who, because of lack of money, crossed the path from Turkey to Greece on foot.

- The two brothers did not have enough money to go by boat which was transporting migrants from the coast of Turkey, to the Greek island of Lesbos, and then to Belgrade. They crossed that entire part on foot and it cost them 500 euros, while it normally costs between three to four thousand euros - she said.

Foto: Tanjug/Zoran Žestić

Migrants generally do not complain about the treatment in Serbia, says team member Bogdan Krasic.

- We had one woman in her ninth month of pregnancy, which was staying in the park. When we explained to her that it is better to go to a doctor than to give birth in the forest, she and her husband refused. Her husband said she would abstain with the delivery until they reached Germany - said Krasic.

Among the "temporary residents of the park" are children and four month old babies.

Foto: Tanjug/Zoran Žestić

Krasic says that their mother does not have special needs and that, although it seems frightening, the desire for a better life is stronger than anything else.

On the other hand, migrants in Serbia comment that they are treated better than in Macedonia or Bulgaria, and that their only problem is that they sleep in the park because the reception centers are away from the city.

And, that they would, as soon as possible, wish to continue their journey to "a better life."

- We have not encountered any problems. Mostly people are in a good mood because they have already passed the worst, fled from the war and now, believe, they are close to their final destination - Krasic says and adds that it is natural that they are all very tired and exhausted.

(Telegraf.co.uk/ Tanjug)