The working groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Pakistan are working hard on an agreement, the signing of which would mean the return of illegal migrants, originally from Pakistan, from the territory of BiH to their homeland. As Klix.ba finds out, the working group from BiH has prepared a draft agreement which has already been forwarded to the BiH Council of Ministers.
Given that several thousand illegal migrants originating from Pakistan are currently on the territory of BiH, this agreement would mean a real step in the fight against illegal migration and relaxation of the migrant crisis.
Last month, the BH Ministry of Security formed an expert working body to work on a proposal for a BiH agreement with Pakistan. This morning, the group met and prepared the final text of the Draft Agreement, on which the Government of Pakistan also gave its opinion and proposals.
The draft was immediately forwarded for adoption to the Council of Ministers of BiH, which should hold an emergency telephone session today, so that the document can be found tomorrow at the regular session of the Presidency of BiH, which should be adopted.
At the same time, the Ministry of Security of BiH and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are working on drafting a protocol on the implementation of readmission agreements between these countries. When BH and the Pakistani authorities finally ratify the agreement, it will be a legal basis that in practice would mean that all Pakistanis who came to BiH illegally through the readmission process return to their country of origin, and Pakistan would be obliged to accept them.
The working group that met this morning consists of representatives of the BiH Ministry of Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Service for Foreigners and the Border Police.
This information for Klix.ba was confirmed by a member of the Working Group Svevlad Hoffmann (GP BiH).
“BiH sent a proposal for a readmission agreement to Pakistan, and they responded with appropriate amendments and proposals and it is now in the process. Now the material will be consolidated and as such will be forwarded to the BiH Presidency and the BiH Council of Ministers, which should be finalized. “After that, it will be signed in Sarajevo or Pakistan, after which the implementation of readmission, ie the return of illegal migrants to Pakistan, will begin,” he said.
Both countries have shown readiness to finally implement readmission, which is a big step towards relieving the pressure produced by the migrant crisis in BiH.