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Bosnia and Herzegovina + 2 more

Bosnia and Herzegovina: UNCT Operational Update of the Refugee/Migrant Situation, 1 January - 16 February 2018

Attachments

Highlights

  • On 20 February 2018, editors and other professionals from over 20 national and international media outlets were sensitized about the current refugee/migrant situation in BiH, and how to report on the situation in line with international norms and definitions. Media guidelines for reporting in such a context were shared by UNHCR and IOM.

  • On 14 February 2018, the BiH Ministry of Security, with the support of International Organization for Migration (IOM), initiated coordinated discussion between international institutions and national agencies about migration management in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The interagency meeting provided an overview of activities and future priorities in migration management, in particular for the provision of support towards implementation of relevant action plans.

Operational Context

During the second half of 2017, BiH experienced a significant increase in refugees and migrants, most of whom crossed the border in an irregular manner (i.e. at non-official border crossing points). During the summer, most of the arrivals were via Serbia, whereas at the very end of the year, the majority of arrivals were from Montenegro. In 2018, arrivals have continued, which temporarily exceeded BiH accommodation capacity in January. Currently, while the asylum centre, with a 154-person accommodation capacity is not full, there are an increasing number of refugees and migrants in need of assistance at various locations throughout the country including entrance and exit points towards Croatia, as well as in Sarajevo. BiH has a Migration Coordination Body led by the Ministry of Security. This body has been closely reviewing the evolving context of the refugee and migrant situation in BiH, and it is expected that in the coming weeks they will present a new plan for endorsement by the Council of Ministers.