Reception Center Lipa near Bihać Opens Today

(Patria) - Head of the EU Delegation and EU Special Representative in BiH Johann Sattler will attend the official opening of the Lipa reception center near Bihać today.

The European Union has allocated 1.7 million euros for the establishment of this multi-purpose reception center, in order to provide adequate accommodation capacities and living conditions for about 1,500 migrants, including families with children, unaccompanied children, and single individuals.

The remaining funds were secured by other donors, including the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (Technisches Hilfswerk), the Austrian Ministry of Interior, the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), the Government of Switzerland, the Holy See, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Council of Europe Development Bank.

The center will be managed by the BiH Service for Foreigners' Affairs with the support of the International Organization for Migration and other partners.

This is an important step in establishing an adequate migration management system in the country, for which the EU will continue to provide support.

In addition to Ambassador Sattler, the opening of the center will be attended by the BiH Minister of Security Selmo Cikotić, Prime Minister of Una-Sana Canton Mustafa Ružnić, Mayor of Bihać Šuhret Fazlić, as well as the German Ambassador to BiH Margret Uebber, the Italian Ambassador to BiH Marco di Ruzza, the Head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in BiH Laura Lungarotti, Director of Hilfswerk Austria Stefan Fritz, and other dignitaries, as announced by the EU Delegation in BiH.