The Service for Foreigners’ Affairs will suggest that the migrants be relocated from the urban areas of the Canton Sarajevo and the Una-Sana Canton to other locations, said the Service’s General Manager Slobodan Ujic. He added that the Service is unable to deal with this issue but that other Western Balkans and EU member states must get involved.
He told N1 that the Service recorded over 3,400 migrants who entered Bosnia and Herzegovina from January 1st to May 10th this year. Most numerous are the Syrian refugees (720), then the Pakistanis (550), Libyans (300), Afghans (245), Iranians (217), Iraqis (170), etc.
When asked which agency is dealing with the issue of migrants, Ujic told N1 that several agencies are dealing with this issue, but that the only problem is the accommodation of the migrants. As far as their registration, fingerprinting, taking of biometric data and identity establishment are concerned, that is the work of the Foreigners’ Affairs Service.
Rlated news
The Canton Sarajevo and the Una-Sana Canton are coping with the biggest burden of the crisis. He said that 600-800 migrants are residing in the Sarajevo Canton while some 600 are in the Una-Sana Canton.
Some 70 percent of migrants have left Bosnia for the countries of the EU, since the beginning of 2018.
The Service has prepared a number of suggestions and urgent measures to deal with the issue of Bosnia’s porous borders. However, he states that the Service can only make suggestions. What is really needed are the funds to implement the measures.
Ujic stressed that the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs and the Border Police both need additional capacities in order to function properly.
“The migrants are coming to Bosnia from Greece and Bosnia alone cannot deal with this issue. It needs help from other countries of the region,” Ujic concluded.
