Operational Group: No new reception centers will be allowed in the Una-Sana Canton area

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Prime Minister of USC Mustafa Ružnić convened a meeting of the Operational Group for coordinating activities and monitoring the migrant crisis in the USC area in Bihać today.

The Operational Group for coordinating activities and monitoring the migrant crisis in the Una-Sana Canton area considered the current situation and adopted the following conclusions:

1. The establishment of new reception centers will not be allowed in the Una-Sana Canton area. The ad hoc temporary centers Bira and Miral, located within the populated areas of Bihać and Velika Kladuša, must be relocated outside populated areas. The Operational Group calls on Dragan Mektić, Minister of Security of BiH, and representatives of the Service for Foreigners' Affairs, IOM, UNHCR, and the City Administration of Bihać to respond to the invitation for an urgent meeting in Bihać on April 23rd, in order to finalize the agreement on determining a location where the Ministry of Security would establish a temporary migrant center, for the purpose of relocating the "Bira" and "Miral" centers.

2. The Operational Group agrees that the temporary centers in "Sedra" and "Đački dom" in Borići will remain, until further notice, for the accommodation of families with children and unaccompanied minors. The Operational Group maintains the position that the capacity for accommodating migrants in these temporary centers cannot be increased beyond the established quotas.

3. We support the proposal submitted to all institutions by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs of the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is responsible for implementing policies and regulating procedures for the movement and stay of foreigners in Bosnia and Herzegovina, requesting competent authorities to "prevent persons without a confirmation of expressed intention for asylum from entering public transport, when selling tickets or when passengers are entering public transport, in order to protect the safety of citizens and property in BiH", including persons whose legal deadline of 14 days for submitting an asylum application has expired. If carriers act contrary to these instructions and allow transportation of illegal migrants who have not been processed by the Service for Foreigners' Affairs of the Ministry of Security of BiH, and thus directly cause unpleasant situations and endanger the safety of citizens and their property, we will be forced to file criminal charges. The Service for Foreigners is requested to continue controlling the inflow of migrants into the USC area, which must not exceed the reception capacity of a total of 3200 persons.

4. Cantonal inspectorates will conduct inspection supervision in the temporary centers "Bira" and "Miral" and urgently submit the supervision findings on the fulfillment of the necessary conditions for accommodating people, given that the centers were established with the intention of short-term bridging of the situation, and not for a longer period. The Cantonal Inspectorate will also intensify activities to control illegal accommodation providers for illegal migrants.

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