Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bisera Turkovic talked with the newly appointed Chief of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Regional Coordinator for Western Balkans, Laura Lungarotti about the migrant crisis in BiH, primarily the Una-Sana Canton and the Sarajevo Canton.
The officials focused on proposals for resolving the migrant crisis, which relate to preventing migrants from entering our country, deploying migrants to other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the possibility of their return to their countries of origin.
Minister Turkovic pointed out that it is not acceptable and fair for Bihac, as one of the tourist centers in BiH, but also parts of Bosnian Krajina, to be under great pressure due to the migrant crisis for three years.
Therefore, she stressed that it is important to form migrant camps in other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially to strengthen the eastern BiH border.
The Minister emphasized that it is essential that such proposals are increasingly supported and recommended by senior European Union officials, but that certain political representatives oppose these solutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Although there are appropriate facilities throughout the country and some businessmen offer their accommodation capacities for migrants free of charge, such proposals are rejected.
“The meeting highlighted the support for the continuation of work in readmission processes, as is the case with Pakistan, i.e. the beginning of procedures and signing of the necessary agreements with the home countries of migrants on their return,” announced the Press Service of the BiH MFA.
