European Union is financing the construction of the detention facility in the Lipa migrant camp in Bosnia's northwest, which will serve as accommodation for those migrants who are denied the entry in one of the EU member states or are under the temporary restrictions on movement, in accordance with the international standards and values, said the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi.

Responding to a question by European Parliament member Erik Marquardt from April this year, Varhelyi said that the detention facility can accept 12 persons before the transfer to the Immigration Centre in Lukavica, near Sarajevo, in line with the Law on Foreigners of BiH.

“The multi-purpose reception and identification centre in Lipa, which can host up to 1,500 persons, was designed as multi-purpose camp, where migrants are registered, their status assessed and identity is checked when entering and leaving the centre. The centre has greatly contributed to improving conditions for migrants and avoiding a new humanitarian crisis as in the winter 2020-2021, when many were left stranded without shelter in terrible conditions,” said the Commissioner.

He also said that the issue of illegal migrations via the Western Balkans route is one of the EU priorities and “includes strengthening border management, ensuring swift asylum procedures, taking action against smuggling of migrants, and fostering readmission cooperation and return, in compliance with international law, EU principles and values, and the protection of fundamental rights, in line with the letters of the President of the Commission to the Council, the latest European Council Conclusions and the EU’s Action Plan on the Western Balkans.”

The Commissioner avoided to directly answer how will the additional half a billion euro, originally earmarked for the Lipa camp which he announced in November last year, be used for the financing of the acceptance of migrants that Croatian authorities illegally returned from the EU.

Varhelyi noted that the immigration centres need to be managed in accordance with the BiH legislation and the international humanitarian standards, adding that the EU is regularly asking the BiH authorities and partners to provide information on this matter.