Goražde Councillors Demand Urgent Formation of Working Group to Address Migrant Issue

GORAŽDE, (Patria) - Councillors of the Democratic Front in the City Council of Goražde have requested the City Administration, in cooperation with the Government of BPK Goražde, to form a working group to address the issue of migrants in the Goražde area and neighboring municipalities within the Canton.

The task of the working group, they stated, would be to ensure basic conditions for the accommodation and stay of migrants in the BPK Goražde area as soon as possible, which would include adequate nutrition, personal hygiene, healthcare, and living and sleeping quarters.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of BPK Goražde states that from March 12 to May 28, police officers registered a total of 137 foreign nationals – illegal emigrants from the Middle East in the area of that canton, including 72 citizens of Syria, 32 citizens of Libya, four citizens of Iran, ten citizens of Pakistan, seven citizens of Algeria, two citizens of Morocco, five citizens of Afghanistan, and five citizens of Palestine.

"Illegal migrants were observed in the BPK Goražde area through personal observation by police officers or based on citizen reports, and they most often moved in groups of three to five people," stated the Ministry of Internal Affairs of BPK Goražde, reports the Patria agency.

"Upon observing illegal migrants and further taking measures and actions towards them, police officers obtained information that they most often travel for several days along forest roads from the border with Montenegro, and that some individuals have visible injuries sustained due to prolonged walking and accidents during walking, that they are exhausted due to several days of walking, that their clothes and footwear are worn out and torn, that they are hungry, and so on," the information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of BPK Goražde further states.

Councillors of the Democratic Front in the City Council of Goražde requested that cantonal authorities seek assistance from higher levels of government as well as international organizations, primarily UNHCR, but also other humanitarian non-governmental organizations such as the Red Cross, Red Crescent, Merhamet, Caritas, etc.

They also request that the authorities enable local non-governmental organizations to contribute to solving this problem.

"If the cantonal government refuses to participate in these activities, we request that the City of Goražde carry out these activities itself," emphasize the Councillors of the Democratic Front. They reminded that Goražde was a refuge for more than 20,000 refugees during the last war in Bosnia and Herzegovina for four years, and under much more difficult circumstances.