On Monday, December 5, the European Commission should announce the Action Plan for the Western Balkan route, which aims to combat illegal migration across the Mediterranean.
At the end of November, the interior ministers of the European Union gathered for an emergency meeting where they discussed illegal migration at a time when the countries of the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, are recording an increased influx of migrants.
It is already known that this document should be discussed at the upcoming summit of the European Union and the leaders of the Western Balkans, which will be held on December 6 in Tirana.
A senior diplomat of the European Union confirmed to FENA that the document will bring proposals for the introduction of several tools, as well as activities that would prevent illegal crossings of state borders and reduce the number of illegal migrants.
It implies, he added, stronger cooperation on this issue between the member states of the European Union and the countries of the Western Balkans, but its content will bring specificities for each of the countries.
Earlier, the European Commission published an Action Plan for migration management in the Central Mediterranean area. At the same time, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson emphasized that the Western Balkan migrant route should be dealt with more effectively.
The diplomat with whom FENA spoke believes that the Action Plan for the Western Balkan route will be similar in its framework to the Action Plan for the Central Mediterranean, which aims to strengthen cooperation with third countries, while a number of measures to solve current challenges have been proposed.
Answering the question which are the countries from which most migrants come and seek asylum in the countries of the European Union, the EU diplomat said that these countries are India, Burundi, Bangladesh and several other African countries.
The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is such that 1,521 migrants are currently accommodated in four temporary reception centers, while 896 migrants have been identified outside reception facilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
