European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, urged Bosnia’s authorities to “rise above political considerations” and reopen migrant centers to accommodate thousands of migrants in light of the imminent closure of the Lipa camp in northwestern BiH.
The full statement by the top EU officials, released on Monday, follows:
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“The migration situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is alarming. Over 3,300 refugees and migrants will find themselves without access to basic shelter and services in the country with the imminent closure of the facility in Lipa, which was a temporary measure to cope with the COVID-19 situation over summer, and no alternative solution from the authorities.
We urge the authorities, once again, to rise above political considerations and reopen the centre in Bira and open the facility in Ciljuge near Tuzla. Competent authorities need to cooperate and act with the utmost urgency to address the needs of all refugees and migrants without shelter and save lives. Interests of local population also must be taken into account and we will work with relevant authorities in this sense.
The EU continues to support Bosnia and Herzegovina and its citizens in coping with the challenging situation, and has just made additional funding available for this purpose. The EU also supports Bosnia and Herzegovina in overall migration management, including asylum and strengthening border control, to build the necessary capacity to effectively address migration.”
