A total of 857 migrants and refugees are currently staying in temporary centers in the northwestern Una-Sana Canton (USC), according to the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Official data also show a slight decline in number of illegal entries into Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to the official dana, there are 464 people accommodated in the Borici and Lipa centres in Bihac, while 393 found a shelter in the Miral centre in Velika Kladusa.

“The total number of people taken care of in this part of BiH is 857, while the accommodation capacities of these three centers in the USC provide the care and stay of a total of 2,780 people,” said the IOM's latest report.

It also said that migrants and refugees are provided with a heated living space, daily meals, space for hygiene and hygiene supplies, winter clothes and shoes, as well as adequate health care.

According to the report, 406 migrants are currently staying outside the official reception centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, most of whom are in the area of Velika Kladusa and Bihac. They are looking for their opportunity to cross the border with the European Union from improvised camps and abandoned buildings, which are located in the immediate vicinity of the border zone.

Official dana issued by the Security Ministry says that 15,597 migrants entered the country last year, which is a slightly lower number compared to the previous period.

“The highest number of these entries into Bosnia and Herzegovina was recorded in July and August, almost 5,000 of them. However, a smaller number of arrivals of migrants and refugees is evident, considering that in 2018 the arrival of more than 24 thousand people was recorded, while a year later that number exceeded 29 thousand. In 2020, the entry of 16,150 migrants and refugees was recorded,” the ministry said, concluding that the trend of reduced number of illegal entries is evident.

Available data also confirm that citizens of Pakistan and Afghanistan make up more than 70 percent of the total of 2,436 migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina.