Bosnia must act to avoid humanitarian crisis among migrants, says human rights commissioner

Bosnia must take urgent action to improve the dire conditions of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers in the northwest of the country, the Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner, Dunja Mijatovic, said in a letter to the Bosnian government on 11 December.

This is the second European warning of a looming humanitarian crisis after the EU called Bosnia to save the lives of up to 3,500 migrants who are likely to be sleeping rough in the tough Balkan winter.

In her letter, Mijatovic cited reports of “seriously substandard” living conditions in the Lipa camp near the northwestern town of Bihac. Reports described overcrowded conditions and a lack of electricity and running water.

According to Reuters, there are 10,000 migrants without proper shelter in Bosnia who hope to reach neighboring Croatia before moving toward Western Europe.

TMP _ 17/12/2020

Photo credit: Ajdin Kamber
Photo caption: Refugee and migrant camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina near Croatian border. Velika Kladusa. Tents and people in Syrian refugee camp. European migrants crisis. Balkan Route. Migrants from Syria, Pakistan