Bosnia's State Presidency adopted a conclusion last week regarding the return of Bosnian nationals from camps in Syria and Iraq, Security Minister Dragan Mektic tweeted on Monday along with a screenshot of the adopted document, calling this decision "shocking."
“The Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina has recognised the urgent need of coordinated work of the competent institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to secure a safe return as well as reintegration of the group of 24 persons, women and juvenile children, and the children without parental care, the nationals of Bosnia and Herzegovina and those who on grounds of law are entitled to the right to the citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the children without parental care) and currently staying in very difficult conditions in the camps in Syria and Iraq,” the Presidency concluded.
But, the minister finds this information “surprising” and “shocking.”
“There are many persons that we know nothing about, there are women, children, the ISIS fighters,” said Mektic, stressing that the Presidency had to consult a security agency before it passed this decision.
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“I don't know if they consulted any security agency before, and they had to contact the Ministry about having decided to return so many persons to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been announced for Saturday,” Mektic told N1.
One of the conclusions that the Presidency passed on November 29 called the Foreign Ministry, the Security Ministry, the Civil Affairs Ministry and other competent institutions to act in line with the law and the international contracts, and take necessary measures in order to secure the protection of rights of Bosnian nationals in Syria and Iraq.
According to Mektic, the procedure has gotten complicated now with the Presidency's decision.
“How are we going to check, and based on what, who will arrive?” he said adding that all further steps on how to treat the incomers are still unclear.
“We had whole procedures,” he explained. “If they are juvenile persons, women, who will accept them? If it's a radicalised family, is it worthwhile to bring those children here? Should they be brought here or forwarded to a social care centre?” added the minister.
“By doing that, the Presidency jeopardised the safety in this country. We don't know who those persons are or what they were doing,” he added.
