Radončić seeks solutions for the migrant crisis: After Krajina, Banja Luka, Tuzla is next

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - BiH Security Minister Fahrudin Radončić has been holding intensive meetings with all relevant institutions regarding the migrant crisis for the past few weeks. At the same time, he is holding meetings with ambassadors to inform them about the scale of the migrant pressure facing BiH, and to request assistance as BiH lacks the financial resources for these purposes. Radončić also visited Croatia in early February where he discussed this issue.

Radončić recently visited the Una-Sana Canton, which has the largest concentration of migrants due to its proximity to the border with Croatia, and thus the EU, which migrants are trying to reach. However, for three years now, BiH has lacked a systemic and adequate solution for the thousands of migrants residing in BiH.

One of the biggest problems is also the lack of police officers in the BiH Border Police, which is deployed at BiH's borders with neighboring countries. Radončić is trying to secure funds for an additional 400 police officers, although there is talk of 1,200 missing police officers.

Minister Radončić has also taken on the thankless role of mediator between competent police agencies to reach an agreement and adopt a unified stance on the migrant crisis. Radončić visited Banja Luka on Friday, where he spoke with the Minister of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, Dragan Lukač, and the BiH Presidency member, Milorad Dodik. Such a move was met with approval and represents a positive shift in Republika Srpska's approach to the migrant crisis.

BiH has no time to wait; tens of thousands of new migrants are expected in the spring who will try to reach Croatia and the EU through BiH. Today, Radončić is in Tuzla, where he will hold talks with the Mayor of Tuzla, Jasmin Imamović, and the Prime Minister of Tuzla Canton, Denijal Tulumović. Tuzla is also one of the main hotspots for migrants, and a solution needs to be found on where and how to accommodate them humanely.

Radončić will also visit the Regional Office of SIPA in Tuzla on this occasion.