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March 13, 2022

Washing for 40 a day in Belgrade, Serbia

From the Ground

by Ingrid van Loo

Four people wearing masks stand behind a counter in a Serbian laundromat, with washing machines visible in the background and various cleaning supplies on the counter, ready for a busy washing day. | Support refugees across Europe in Greece, France, the UK and the Balkans

We visited Collective Aid who provide a laundry/ shower service at The Wash for 30-40 refugees per day in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. Local homeless people are welcome too.

Serbia is an important transit country for people on the move (POMs). It is estimated that 60,000 people moved through there in 2021, heading to the EU to seek safety from war, persecution, poverty and many other human rights violations.

How sad it is to see how these refugees are being hunted down, treated like street animals, ignored and forgotten…

How hard it must be for them to go through all this humiliation and hardship on top of all the trauma of war and persecution they have already experienced in their own country…

How shameful to see that the EU heavily funds the border police in Croatia, Hungary and Romania to use such cruel methods to push refugees back into Serbia and Bosnia …

Access to Essential Services: The Importance of a Wash

Thankfully there is a little safe haven where refugees can have a tea, charge their phones, have a wash and clean their clothes.

But I can’t help feeling it’s just a moment in time and God knows what lies ahead of them.

How the EU and the U.K. can be so hostile towards refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and many others is completely beyond me …. why so very different from the welcoming attitude towards Ukrainians?

A row of washing machines and dryers, each labeled with names, are arranged under a blue staircase, reminiscent of a cozy corner in Serbia. A laundry basket brimming with clothes waits patiently in front of the machines. | Support refugees across Europe in Greece, France, the UK and the Balkans
In a room with shelves and a whiteboard, a person is meticulously organizing clothes. A laundry basket sits on the counter, reminiscent of washing day in Serbia, while clothes hang elegantly on hangers and line the shelves. | Support refugees across Europe in Greece, France, the UK and the Balkans
In a room filled with stacked cardboard boxes, a person in a teal jacket is diligently sorting items into black crates, reminiscent of the careful organization seen in markets across Serbia. | Support refugees across Europe in Greece, France, the UK and the Balkans
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