Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) neither has intention nor capacity to become a migrant reception centre outside the European Union (EU), BiH Security Minister Dragan Mektic said on Tuesday in Medugorje, a city located some 160 kilometres southwest of the capital Sarajevo.
During his addressing at the urgent meeting convened to discuss the large influx of illegal migrants entering BiH, Mektic highlighted that BiH “will not be a reception center for migrants and refugees.”
He pointed out that influx of migrants pose a security challenge for BiH, its citizens and their property.
“This migration crisis is lasting since 2015, but has not escalated so far in this way. This has become a big problem for the EU,” Mektic said, adding that BiH is a country which will soon enter in the EU.
Mektic highlighted that the problems with migrants’ crisis can be solved with cooperation of EU member countries, and Western Balkans countries as well.
When it comes to the question what BiH authorities will do in order to handle the migrants’ crisis, Mektic pointed out on the protection of borders and redirection of police officers on the border crossings with most migrants’ pressure. He added that BiH authorities will engage to help the migrants in a humane manner and to open two new reception centres.
Mektic also noted that 6, 354 migrants asked for asylum, 611 actually applied for it and none was granted an asylum, which points out on the fact that BiH is a transit country.
Commenting on the problem of incidents, fights and drugs use among migrants who reside in Bihac, a city located some 310 kilometers northwest of the capital, Mektic said that perpetrators pose a threat to a local community, and that BiH Ministry of Security identified 20 migrants who will be transferred to an immigration center in East Sarajevo, where they will be isolated.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants passed through the so-called “Balkan route” in 2015, trying to reach Western Europe. BiH was then not part of that route.
However, migrants have turned to BiH in recent months, trying to avoid more heavily-guarded routes and borders in the Balkans. A total of 7,128 illegal migrants have entered BiH since the beginning of this year, BiH Council of Ministers said at its session on Monday, June 25.
Sarajevo Times
