Currently, about 2.040 migrants from different countries are housed in temporary reception centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Outside the camps, 367 migrants are staying in abandoned facilities and boarding houses, according to data from January this year, reports Anadolu Agency (AA).
About 220 migrants are staying at the Reception Center “Usivak” in Hadzici near Sarajevo. These are mostly families with children and unaccompanied minors.
Azra Ibrahimovic-Srebrenica, camp manager of “Usivak” on behalf of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that this organization, together with the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs and the Red Cross of BiH, counted migrants outside the centers. The data was updated in January this year.
”There are about 367 migrants out of the official temporary reception centers. The counting was done in seven cantons in the Federation of BiH (FBiH) and five regions in the Republika Srpska (RS). They are mostly located in abandoned buildings and boarding houses. These are locations that are not adequate to accommodate these vulnerable categories. Most of the men are single, but there are women and children present. One pregnant woman has also been identified,” Ibrahimovic-Srebrenica mentioned.
”As for the reception center ‘Usivak’, we currently have 220 migrants accommodated here. These are mostly families with children and unaccompanied minors. Currently, there are 86 unaccompanied minors. The situation is satisfactory. Conditions in the camp are great. We have enough clothes and footwear, warm winter clothes, blankets, each accommodation unit has its own heating. Everyone lives in conditions that are satisfactory and necessary for this time of year, ” Ibrahimovic-Srebrenica added.
”The numbers are much lower. Movements during the winter months are reduced due to very low temperatures and difficult movement. We know that a large number of them move on foot, through inaccessible terrain, so this is certainly a period of the year that is not suitable for their movement. Those who are are waiting for more favorable conditions to move on. Most of the migrants accommodated in this camp are from Afghanistan, mostly unaccompanied minors. However, most of the families are from Iraq, then from Iran, a few from Syria, Cuba, and Guinea, ” Ibrahimovic-Srebrenica concluded.
Hasna Zemhi from Tunisia has been in BiH for three years. Hereshe gave birth to her fourth child. ”I came to BiH in 2019. We came to Serbia from Tunisia and then to BiH. I gave birth to my fourth child here. The boy was born while we were in Bihac. He is one year and seven months old,” Zemhi explained.
“We have been in BiH for some time, but we do not plan to stay. The main reason for that is that here it is not possible to find a job. The plan is to move on. Our goal is France, but we would originally like to go to Germany,” Zemhi added.
Mansour Amini has come a long way from Iran to BiH. “I am here with my wife and two children. We arrived five months ago. I left Iran because of the political situation. On the way from Iran to BiH, I passed through Turkey, Greece, North Macedonia, Albania, and Montenegro. I can compare the attitude of the Greek police towards migrants with the attitude of the Iranian authorities with minority communities. When we moved from Turkey to Greece, we thought that we had entered the European Union (EU), which is a synonym for human rights. However, the attitude of the Greek authorities towards migrants is catastrophic, ” Amini explained.
Taha Younus came to BiH from Iraq. ”I’ve been here for about 1.5 years. I’ve been on the road for about seven years. I was in Bulgaria for 1.7 years, then I was in Serbia for two years. Everything is fine in this camp. It’s warm and we have food,” Younus told.
E.Dz.
Source: Federalna
