More than 500 migrants have been returned from Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the past two weeks under the readmission agreement. All of them are placed in the Lipa reception center near Bihać, whose residents fear that this city could once again become the focus of the migrant crisis.
Croatian authorities deliver migrants almost every day, first to the border crossing, and then to the Lipa camp. Under the escort and control of the police, buses returning migrants from the European Union have been arriving in Bihać for days. In this way, the agreement on readmission was started, which arouses anger in the field. Citizens, as well as local authorities, are complaining more and more loudly. Prime Minister Mustafa Ružnić sent an open letter to Elmedin Konaković, Nenad Nešić and Žarko Laketa, requesting, among other things, a solution to this problem and an equal distribution of migrants throughout the country.
From that first call of mine, before the first bus, we asked for answers to the questions why, how… From all services and from the Ministry, and to this day we have not received any answer nor has anyone come forward. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Una Sana Canton says that more than five hundred migrants have been returned to the Una-Sana canton in recent days. For many of them, it is not the first time that they are in the Lipa camp, and it will not be the first time that they embark on a new campaign through Plješevica. One column has already started. For the operational group that was in session, it is not only the readmission process that they were not informed about, but also the construction of the so-called The detention center, which was opened in secret, and which is a kind of detention unit, Mustafa Ruznic, Prime Minister of the Una-Sana Canton, says.
“Who established that center, gave approval, for what purpose… This is all information that is circulating, and we have not received answers to it. According to unofficial information, it was financed by the European Union, that is, through a non-governmental organization, which in the past period and all these years has never been active in this area. What organization is it about? It is an international center for the management of migration policies,” Elvedin Sedic, mayor of Bihać, adds.
While the authorities are still not announcing, migrants are enjoying other games while waiting for nicer and warmer weather for the so-called “game”, i.e. illegal crossing of the border. And the request of local authorities to distribute the load evenly is a question of whether anyone will listen until all capacities are filled.
