Data from authorities responsible for managing the migration process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as police activities and reports, confirm a significant increase in the number of migrants in the area of the Una-Sana Canton (USK), compared to the beginning of the year.

This is clearly visible in the current number of beneficiaries of services of the two reception centers, Lipa and Borici, in Bihac.

“We have somewhere around 950 accommodated migrants at Lipa, at the moment, while at Borici there are around 260 registered migrants. However, this is not a complete figure, considering that perhaps an approximate number of migrants reside in the border area with the Republic of Croatia and are waiting for the transition to the territory of the European Union. The increase in the number of migrants in the past few months is evident,” said the spokesperson of the USK Police Ale Siljdedic.

Rade Kovac, the Head of the Department for Operational Support of the BiH Service for Foreigners Affairs, stressed the importance of controlling the eastern border, i.e. slowing down illegal entry into the country.

“That is very important at this moment. If we control or slow down the entry from the eastern border, we can manage this process in the right way. If that does not happen, I'm afraid we could end up in the situation we were in back in 2018 and 2019. As soon as the route through Romania or Hungary gets blocked, the one that involves Bosnia will be activated,” Kovac said.

Unfortunately, with the increase in the number of migrants, there has also been an increase in the number of criminal offences in the Canton.

“It is worrying that we have a certain number of migrants carrying firearms. This was determined by the last coordinated police operation. They acquired some of those weapons from unscrupulous BiH citizens, who, for some personal financial benefit, now threaten the safety of their neighbours, friends, and even their own families. We must be aware that among those people who are looking for a better life, there are also criminals who are on the run from the law, police warrants and investigations,” Siljdedic added.

The largest number of people arriving in the area of Bihac and Velika Kladusa are citizens of Afghanistan and Algeria, which is confirmed by official information from international organizations.