In a coordinated action, inspectors of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, in cooperation with police officers of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), conducted intensified control activities at three locations in the municipalities of Stari Grad and Ilidža in Sarajevo, the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs announced.
Illegally used accommodation
On this occasion, inspections were carried out of residential buildings that were illegally used to accommodate foreign citizens.
-During the action, around 20 foreign citizens were found, and legally prescribed measures and actions within the jurisdiction of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs will be taken against all of them. Approximately 200 travel documents and identification documents were found, including documents of citizens of Nepal, Bangladesh and Turkey, as well as a large amount of equipment used for illegal crossing of the state border, and a large number of mobile phones – the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs announced.
For two Pakistani citizens S.S. and A.S., who were found to be involved in organizing international migrant smuggling on the Western Balkan route, were ordered to be expelled and placed under supervision and placed in the Immigration Center in East Sarajevo, and further activities against them will be undertaken by the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), given the indications linking them to migrant smuggling and the travel documents found.
Prevention of human smuggling
– The Service for Foreigners’ Affairs will continue, in cooperation with the competent institutions, to continuously implement increased control and surveillance activities, with the aim of suppressing illegal residence, preventing human smuggling and preventing the illegal use and rental of facilities for accommodating migrants. On this occasion, we call on citizens to report all information about illegal and unregistered facilities for accommodating foreigners to the competent field centers of the Service, in order to jointly contribute to preserving security and legal order in Bosnia and Herzegovina – the statement added.
