The Croat Republican Party (HRS) issued a statement harshly criticising the chief of the European Union's office in Bosnia and Herzegovina over his statements on the migrant crisis in this country, suggesting him to focus on the tasks within his mandate.

“In the manner of colonising governor, sent to manage native tribes, Johann Sattler, the Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina says ‘BiH is a signatory of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and is obliged to take over the responsibility of accepting the illegal migrants’,” the HRS said, stressing that the mission of the EU ambassador in BiH is actually to focus on the rule of law, reform of security sector and coordination of solving the issues of organised crime, corruption and terrorism.

“The rule of law considers respect for the laws of this state. As for the treatment of illegal migrants, the law is more than clear: if identity cannot be determined, each illegal migrant must be put under surveillance and deported from BiH, especially if they are the individuals posing a threat to law and order as well as safety. Since they are not coming from the countries affected by war, the illegal migrants do not meet the conditions to seek asylum. Therefore, they must be expelled from the country,” said the statement signed by the party leader, Slaven Raguz.

Raguz also recalled that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU, which Sattler refers to, actually obliges Bosnia and Herzegovina to act in line with its laws “i.e. to expel illegal migrants,” particularly Article 81 which speaks of illegal migrations and human trafficking.

Sattler does not have a mandate or responsibility to dictate the tasks for Bosnia and Herzegovina, the HRS stressed referring to the EU official's recommendations on the migrant crisis management in BiH.

“If he really wants to carry out his mission towards the implementation of the rule of law, Johann Sattler had to call out the Security Ministry and other competent services for not doing their job. Why those people are not sent back to their countries of origin, from which they illegally came to BiH? How is it possible that they entered BiH at all, especially being aware of the strict controls of us, the citizens of this country, during the corona crisis,” they added.

Finally, the HRS suggested Sattler, who is the Austrian diplomat, to either promote the rule of law or “we will finance the buses and transport of illegal migrants to Austria, where you come from.”