IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF: Urgent solutions needed to alleviate the suffering of migrants

(Patria) - A joint press statement has been sent signed by IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF, DRC, MdM and Save the Children, organisations calling for an urgent solution for at least 900 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers who have been held for more than 24 hours in difficult humanitarian conditions and uncertainty at the Lipa location. Humanitarian organisations call on state, entity and local authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to break the deadlock and adhere to the principles contained in international human rights law, ratified conventions, as well as national legal frameworks, and ensure the safety and protection of persons at risk.

"The signatory humanitarian organisations call for an urgent solution for at least 900 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers who have been held for more than 24 hours in difficult humanitarian conditions and uncertainty at the Lipa location. Humanitarian organisations call on state, entity and local authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to break the deadlock and adhere to the principles contained in international human rights law, ratified conventions, as well as national legal frameworks, and ensure the safety and protection of persons at risk.

About 900 migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, who have been stranded for the past seven days at the site of the former Lipa tent camp, were loaded onto 20 buses last night, which were expected to take them to an appropriate temporary reception facility, selected by representatives of the authorities. However, the buses never left the camp site, following a stalemate in decision-making processes at various levels of government and protests by the local population.

The difficult situation in which migrants, refugees and asylum seekers find themselves is worsening day by day. The lack of safe and adequate alternatives to the Lipa tent camp resulted in the closure of this camp, which lacked the most basic conditions for accommodation during the winter. The closure was followed by a large-scale fire that destroyed most of the camp. Fortunately, no human casualties were avoided. Hundreds of people spent a week outdoors at the Lipa site, with minimal humanitarian aid, exposed to low temperatures and without access to basic facilities.

In the absence of any solution, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers have now been disembarked from the buses and returned to the Lipa site – exposed to low temperatures, at a location where they have almost nowhere to stay. Forcing people to remain outdoors again in these conditions cannot be an acceptable solution. The lack of urgent action by the responsible authorities risks the possibility of serious consequences for human safety and lives.

The population of Bosnia and Herzegovina has shown solidarity with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers over the past three years and provided necessary support to people in need. However, the current lack of consensus among the authorities and negative rhetoric fuels additional xenophobia and stigmatisation of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in BiH. The authorities must act responsibly and ensure safety, both for the local population and for migrants and asylum seekers.

Rapid actions are needed to end the consequences caused by the dead-end path on which migrants, refugees and asylum seekers currently find themselves. Protection, safety and urgent humanitarian assistance must be provided to people in need, as soon as possible. The signatory humanitarian organisations continue to provide humanitarian aid to alleviate people's suffering and again emphasise their readiness to support the authorities' efforts to provide assistance in a safe and dignified manner," they stated.