Border Town Is Overwhelmed by Illegal Immigration — in Serbia
11/08/2011
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A location on or near the edge of the third world may be conducive to diversity, but not so much for domestic tranquility.

Serbian border town Banja Koviljaca has felt swamped by the crime of the increasing numbers of foreigners who end up in the asylum center there while trying to get into Europe.

The residents’ action in response was hold to a rally to protest the situation and keep their kids out of school.

Boycott of school in asylum seekers town, B92, November 7, 2011

Residents of Banja Kovilja?a in western Serbia this morning decided not to send their children to school, in protest over “uncontrolled inflow of immigrants”.

Local Lotel TV journalist Svetlana Ili? told B92 that only eight out of some 400 students showed up this morning for classes at the town’s elementary school.

A committee formed by parents and other citizens on Sunday organized a protest rally against what they said was a large number of foreign immigrants currently housed in that small town.

Banja Kovilja?a is also a spa and a tourist resort.

The committee will meet again on Monday evening, and will call for the Parents’ Council to meet on Tuesday and “decide on the next steps to be taken”.

On Sunday, they demanded urgent removal of all illegal immigrants and asylum seekers, as well as the Asylum Center located in the spa. ? 

The protesters called on Interior Minister Ivica Da?u? and Commissioner for Refugees Vladimir Cuci? to visit Banja Kovilja?a and discuss the issue with the citizens.

The rally on Sunday was spurred by a recent incident, when five Afghani immigrants were accused of raping a British woman.

According to police data from the nearby town of Loznica, the Asylum Center – which has the capacity to house 80 persons – is currently home to more than 2,500 asylum seekers from Asian and African countries.

The local authorities previously on several occasions turned to the Commissioner for Refugees and Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovi? for help in resolving the issue, but since there were no concrete steps taken by the state institutions the citizens decided to organize themselves, said reports.

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