In a letter addressed to the Ministers for Human Rights and Refugees and for Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina published today, Commissioner Mijatović urges the authorities to spare no effort in order to improve their handling of migrants’ arrivals.
Concerned by the lack of a systematic response to the situation of refugees and migrants who sleep rough on the streets and in the parks with irregular access to food and health assistance, the Commissioner urges the authorities to provide adequate accommodation by using all available refugee reception centres and to make sure that all asylum-seekers and migrants receive adequate food, healthcare and administrative assistance.
Furthermore, the Commissioner recognizes that the situation with migration might present social and economic challenges for Bosnia and Herzegovina but at the same she underscores the country’s obligation to ensure assistance and access to fair and effective asylum procedures and a need to address it in a human rights compliant way.
The Commissioner requests information on the safeguards that the authorities intend to put in place in this regard.