12 resolution of their status, i.e. deportation in accordance with the applicable regulations, as well as to pass decisions on asylum requests in an expedited procedure, while thwarting all attempts to abuse rights, with full respect for all minimum rights of irregular migrants and asylumseekers, in accordance with the rules of the international law and the applicable standards.” 1.2. Key information on activities of the Protector of Citizens in the capacity of the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) in 20148 In 2014, NPM visited 79 places of detention. 38 scheduled and 41 visits with a specific purpose were made. As part of the scheduled visits, the NPM visited 25 police stations, 3 prisons, 2 psychiatric hospitals, 5 care homes for the elderly. In addition, the NPM also performed 3 monitoring procedures in case of persons repatriated in the readmission at the “Nikola Tesla” Airport. On the basis of these visits, the NPM sends reports to the visited institutions with recommendations for rectifying the identified shortcomings that result or may result in torture or mistreatment. In 2014, the NPM focused on visits with a specific purpose relating to the prevention of abuse of refugees and migrants in the Republic of Serbia. Through oversight of compliance with the NPM’s recommendations for improving the treatment of refugees and migrants in the Republic of Serbia9, the NPM visited 41 institutions together with the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights. He visited 23 police stations, 5 regional border police centres, 5 camps for asylum-seekers, 5 penal institutions, 2 juvenile correctional facilities and the Shelter for Foreigners in Padinska Skela. With the aim of promoting and protecting the rights of persons deprived of liberty and prevention of torture, in 2014 NPM representatives took part in numerous conferences, round tables and workshops. The Deputy Protector of Citizens, who is in charge of rights of persons deprived of liberty, held several lectures for students at the Faculty of Law and issued about 30 press releases in connection with prohibition of abuse and improvements in the field of prevention of torture. The NPM has continued its successful cooperation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia. A representative of the NPM took part in the workshop titled “Prevention of Torture”, organised in Belgrade in February 2014 by the OSCE Mission to Serbia, whose aim was to represent the importance of regional cooperation and exchange of experiences between Western Balkans countries. With the support of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, a representative of the NPM took part in the two-day OSCE meeting “Prevention of Torture” held in Vienna in April 2014. In addition, cooperation with the UNCHR Office in Serbia and the Belgrade Centre for Human Rights and Group 484 has been intensified, with a view of implementing activities aimed at improving and protecting of the rights of asylum-seekers in Serbia. In November 2014, the Protector of Citizens, acting in the capacity of the NPM, together with the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the UNHCR Office held the First South-East OPCAT Forum. The Forum was attended by members of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT), representatives of national preventive mechanism of the Southeast Europe countries and representatives of the NPMs of Romania, Germany, Greece, the Czech Republic, France, Poland, Estonia and Azerbaijan, members of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) and other international organisations, as well as representatives of the civil society. A press conference titled “Prevention of Torture 8 9 For more information see Chapter 5 of this Report. Recommendation 75-6/14, available at: http://www.zastitnik.rs/index.php/lang-sr/2012-02-07-14-03-33/31902014-02-14-08-47-05.