According to data from the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration, 2,766 migrants have been registered in Serbia so far this year, representing a 46 per cent decrease compared to last year. Who these people are, where they predominantly originate from, and where they plan to go were revealed in the latest report by the United Nations’ International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
This IOM report is based on interviews conducted between April and June of this year with 221 migrants across several reception centres. The nationalities of the interviewees offer an approximate picture of the migrant demographics currently in Serbia. Among them, the largest group comprises individuals from Afghanistan (47 per cent), followed by citizens of Egypt (8 per cent), Pakistan (8 per cent), Sudan (6 per cent), and Morocco (5 per cent).
The motives for leaving one’s home country vary depending on the point of origin -whilst people from Afghanistan and Sudan cite fleeing armed conflict, citizens of Egypt, Morocco, and Pakistan more frequently cite economic reasons as the driving factor behind their decision to migrate.
The average age of the interviewees is 27 years, with men making up 86 per cent and women 14 per cent. Three-quarters of respondents are unmarried, compared to a quarter who are married.
The questionnaire reveals that the majority of those who left their home countries have either no formal education (19 per cent) or a primary education (35 per cent). Lower secondary education is held by 31 per cent of respondents, and upper secondary by 10 per cent. 4 per cent of participants in the UN survey have a tertiary education, which includes a university degree or higher.
Their responses paint a clear picture of their movement. By far the largest proportion (80 per cent) entered Serbia via North Macedonia. Only 9 per cent arrived in Serbia by plane, and 7 per cent came via Bulgaria.
While North Macedonia is the most common entry point, Bosnia and Herzegovina is the preferred next stop for the majority of those surveyed as they continue their journey towards Western Europe. As many as 67 per cent of respondents highlighted Bosnia and Herzegovina as the next country they would like to enter – significantly higher than Hungary (28 per cent) and Croatia (6 per cent).
More than half (54 per cent) named Italy as their preferred final destination. This was followed by France (18 per cent) and Germany (16 per cent), whilst 13 per cent of respondents stated that they would like to remain in Serbia.
The respondents’ answers confirmed that people smugglers continue to play a significant role in the process, with 73 per cent stating they had received assistance when crossing at least one border. The average journey duration across all respondents stands at 312 days.
(Insajder, 04.08.2026)