WHAT ABOUT THE PLAN? Donor funds blocked, Cikotić seeks five million KM from reserves

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The BiH Council of Ministers, at its session on December 16, adopted the BiH Ministry of Security's Information with a Plan of Measures and Activities for effective management of the migrant crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 14. 12. 2020. The realization of the Plan of Measures and Activities for effective management of the migrant crisis in BiH requires 215,253,700 KM, of which two million KM is to be allocated from the budget of BiH institutions, 189,838,900 KM through donations, and using the budget and donations, 23,414,800 KM needs to be secured.

However, the BiH Minister of Security, Selmo Cikotić, has prepared a proposal for a Decision on allocating five million marks for managing the migrant crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina for tomorrow's session of the BiH Council of Ministers. The money is to be allocated from the budget reserve and international obligations for 2020.

The money would be spent on purchasing containers for accommodation, preparatory works, diesel generators, purchasing tents with heating machines, bunk beds, in a total amount of 4,700,000 KM, while 300,000 KM would be spent on bedding, blankets, and other materials.

Although Cikotić announced a more efficient Plan of Measures that envisioned better cooperation and coordination of all institutions and security agencies in accordance with their competencies for the protection of BiH's borders, in practice, that plan is not functioning. The plan envisages better coordination of all BiH institutions responsible for issues concerning foreigners who have illegally entered BiH, in order to relocate them outside of populated and urban areas into specially constructed facilities.

However, this is precisely where the problem arose. Cikotić proposed, and the BiH Council of Ministers adopted, a Decision on establishing a temporary reception center for accommodating migrants, "Lipa", in the area of Bihać, which will be a prefabricated container-type facility with a capacity of 1,500 people. In the meantime, migrants were supposed to be relocated to the Bira camp until Lipa was equipped. However, local authorities and citizens do not agree to accommodate thousands of migrants in Bira, which is in the city center. Camp Lipa is 25 km from Bihać and outside the urban area.

And while the agony of migrants staying in the substandard Lipa camp in tents without electricity, heating, and with one meal a day continues, the question arises as to why the adopted plan has not been implemented in practice.

"Two new priorities relate to supporting local communities where temporary reception centers have been established, as well as strengthening the capacities of the Coordination Body for Migration Issues in BiH, i.e., the Operational Staff for Migration Issues in BiH," the plan states.

In the past few days, we have seen the complete opposite picture, with the Minister of Security exchanging accusations with the Prime Minister of the Una-Sana Canton, Mustafa Ružnić, and the Mayor of Bihać, Šuhret Fazlić, and vice versa.

International organizations are called upon to engage more actively in the implementation of planned activities and the provision of necessary financial resources for the realization of this plan, and BiH institutions to undertake the necessary activities in accordance with their competencies, so that as many planned measures as possible are realized through donor funds.

For now, donor funds are blocked, given that the largest portion of European Union funds for assisting BiH in resolving the migrant crisis is transferred through the International Organization for Migration, which has withdrawn from the Lipa camp and is asking BiH authorities to find an adequate solution for accommodating migrants.

The decision of December 21, adopted by the BiH Council of Ministers, states that "funds secured through donations will be used to establish a temporary reception center for accommodating migrants at the 'Lipa' location."

The "Lipa" tent camp, with a capacity of 1000 people, was opened on April 21, 2020, and is intended for the accommodation of men. On December 1, 2020, there were 1,272 people staying in the camp.