Migrant tragedy and political strategy

By: Sead OMERAGIC

When Slobodan Ujic, the Director of the Service for Foreigners Affairs says: 'We have to close the border with our eastern neighbors – Serbia and Montenegro', we can't help but wonder if it was a slip of the tongue or he slipped and revealed too much?

The question is if our security services are doing what they are responsible for. How come the borders of BiH have not been closed until now, and now they ought to be shut? According to Ujic, the migrants entered BiH via its official border crossings. Most of the migrants claim to have entered at the official border crossing and what is more they were directed to Sarajevo by the Border Police. The Sarajevo Police has their affidavits.

Having said that, most of the migrants admit staying in Serbia for several months where they were duly registered. Now it looks like that our 'eastern neighbors' are expelling registered migrants. Meanwhile, along the western BH border, the Croatian police is brutally confronting migrants, in some cases using force, robbing them and pushing them back to BiH. It is obvious that almost all the refugees with their tragic destinies are currently in the parts of BiH where Bosniak majority lives. Mostly in Sarajevo and Bihac. It is interesting that even Europe shut its borders to these wretched people for some time.

Half a year ago, before the massive wave of migrants, politicians and analysts from Serbia and Croatia spoke of migrants in the context of alleged terrorist threat. In the same context, it was assumed that the migrants are Muslims and that religious belief is linked to terrorism. Milorad Dodik and Dragan Covic, a popular duo from BiH didn't waste any time saying they didn't want the refugees. Dodik rejected the EU aid offered for migrant centers: 'We don't want them because they are the people of the same faith.' Therefore, he jumped to conclusion that all migrants are Muslim. Recent study by 'Pew Research Center' revealed that almost half of the migrants are not Muslim; in this migrant group, 47% of people are mainly Christians fleeing their countries of origin in search of economic and other security offered by Europe.  

Well-coordinated statements by Dodik and Covic revealed numerous similarities with the official stance of Belgrade and Zagreb towards this migrant wave that has been forced into (and upon) BiH.

The Council of Ministers BiH, as the state government, has not yet been able to hold a meeting about migrants. Denis Zvizdic as the state prime minister does not speak much about this horrific human tragedy. Following his withdrawal from the presidential race, he does not seem interested in his job of prime minister. BH party leaders also avoid debating this issue, even though they have started their pre-election campaigns offering their opinion on pretty much everything and anything.

Meanwhile, the migrants, some with very small children, continue to strive in inhumane conditions.