Operational Staff for Migration Issues: Border Reinforcement a Priority

(Patria) - Bosnia and Herzegovina will utilize all available capacities to strengthen control and surveillance on the eastern border and prevent the entry of illegal migrants, concluded the Operational Staff for Migration Issues in BiH held today in Sarajevo. Given the operational data on the number of migrants in Greece and the movement of migrants on the Balkan route, strengthening border control has been designated as the main priority in resolving the migrant situation. 

"Therefore, the Border Police has been asked to submit an analysis for the next Staff meeting on the required number of police officers to fully close the 600-kilometer-long eastern border, which will be further forwarded to the Council of Ministers of BiH. The Chairman of the Staff and the Minister of Security of BiH, Dragan Mektić, also informed the attendees about the offer from the Government of Hungary to send a certain number of police officers as assistance, who would monitor the border without weapons and police powers.

The Staff accepted this offer and a proposal for an agreement will soon be sent for procedure to the Council of Ministers and the Presidency of BiH. In the first two months of this year, 2,260 migrants entered BiH, which is an increase compared to the same period last year. Currently, there are about 3,500 migrants in BiH, and all are accommodated in eight reception centers," it was announced.