Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PSBiH) Jasmin Emrić, Aida Baručija, Šemsudin Mehmedović and Branislav Borenović, who are part of the delegation of the Club for European Integration and Security, visited the Temporary Reception Center (PPC) in Lipa near Bihać and the Una-Sana Canton (USK), with the aim of informing about the current migrant situation and reviewing the state of migration management in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The MPs had the opportunity to tour the PPC Lipa, its capacities and facilities, and the camp coordinator of the Service for Affairs with Foreigners, Almin Imamović, introduced the delegation to the responsibilities and activities that the Service undertakes in order to improve the daily work of the PPC Lipa.
After visiting PPC Lipa, the MPs concluded that the state of migration management in USK is far more stable and organized compared to 2019, when the delegation visited all the temporary reception centers in this area at the time.
The conditions for the stay of migrants in PPC Lipa are now satisfactory and in accordance with international standards, and the Service for Affairs with Foreigners has officially taken over management.
The USK deputies used the visit to hold a series of meetings with representatives of the cantonal and local authorities, in order to, in addition to providing information on the state of migration, discuss the current challenges that this canton is facing when it comes to the recent floods that have caused large material losses in this area.
In a conversation with the mayor of Bihać, Elvedin Sedić, and his associates, the deputies learned about the current state of this local community and the measures taken to protect the population from floods, and received information about the stage of the preliminary damage assessment.
In the continuation of the visit, the delegation met with the Prime Minister of USK Mustafa Ružnić and the director of the Cantonal Administration of Civil Protection Dževad Livaković, with whom they discussed the current challenges and the extent of the damage caused by the floods, which is reflected in large damages to residential buildings, road infrastructure and agricultural crops.
The first estimates indicate that the consequences and resulting damages of the May floods are significantly greater than last year’s December floods and that the coordination of all levels of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina is needed in order to rehabilitate them.
The delegation ended the two-day visit with a tour of the municipality of Novi Grad, which was also affected by the May floods. A meeting was held with the mayor of the municipality, Miroslav Drljača, who informed the deputies about the current number of requests for damage repair that have been submitted to the competent department of the municipality.
The mayor emphasized the importance of preventive measures and having adequate equipment and pumps that would enable the local communities of this region to effectively fight against floods.
One of the topics of discussion was Trgovska gora, in light of the latest activities carried out by the authorities in the Republic of Croatia with the intention of establishing a center for the disposal of radioactive and nuclear waste in the Čerkezovac barracks, near the border with our country.
The need for further joint action to challenge and prevent the establishment of the planned nuclear facility, which would represent a constant security threat and generate a negative impact on the environment, including the health of the population in this northwestern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was agreed upon.
The determination was also expressed that through parliamentary activities and initiatives, this group of MPs will continue to follow the mentioned topics of discussion in order to contribute to the efficient management of migration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to support concrete financial and material assistance within their competences and capabilities.
