The migrant crisis and the security of Sarajevo Canton's (KS) residents were reasons for the Wednesday meeting between KS Prime Minister Edin Forto, Minister of Labour, Social Policy, Displaced Persons and Refugees Ivana Prvulovic and KS Interior Minister Admir Katica with the newly appointed head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Regional Coordinator for the Western Balkans Laura Lungarotti.

The meeting was attended by Police Commissioner Nusret Selimovic and the Head of the Uniformed Police Sector in the KS Interior Ministry, Dzafer Hrvat.

The KS Government representatives stressed that there will be no new camps in the Sarajevo Canton because the migrant crisis will no longer be resolved in that way.

The statement from the KS Government noted that interlocutors agreed that there would be no new influx of migrants to the camp in Blazuj, where according to the Wednesday count 3,205 were accommodated.

“This figure clearly indicates that the camp is overloaded, and that is an excellent basis for deviant behaviour,” Minister Katica said.

“We asked the head of the IOM to either reduce the number of migrants in the camp to 1,000 or to close it,” Katica noted.

Prime Minister Forto also pointed out that the excessive number of migrants staying in the camp Blazuj is not only a humanitarian but also a security issue.

“Our priority is our citizens, who do not feel safe after the recent events,” said Prime Minister Forto, recalling the recent mass brawl in the camp when a police vehicle was overturned and two officers injured.

Forto agreed with the IOM chief Lungarotti that migrants’ movement should not be limited because that could lead to bigger problems.