IOM in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) is located at a migration crossroad between Eastern and Western Europe. The conflict in the former Yugoslavia from 1992 to 1995 destroyed the social and economic infrastructure and forced over half of citizens of BH to leave their homes. Today, the return of displaced persons and a rise in illegal migration, such as human trafficking and smuggling, make migration a major challenge for BH’s post-conflict recovery and development.

IOM initiated a mission in Sarajevo in 1992 in the basement of Koševo Hospital, setting up the MEDEVAC programme to evacuate war-wounded individuals who could not be treated locally. Following the end of the war, IOM expanded its activities to the return of refugees from abroad and to assist BH nationals resettling in third countries. Today, IOM’s programmes aim to prevent irregular migration, stop the trafficking of human beings, contribute to national development, and assist the BH Government to manage migration activities.

During the migrant and refugee crisis in 2015 - 2016, IOM - the UN Migration Agency - together with the international community, scaled up its presence in Greece and the Western Balkans, and in particular in North Macedonia and Serbia part of the so-called Western Balkan route, to support national authorities and civil society in responding to the emergency situation, and providing direct assistance and protection to migrants, particularly those most vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse, or a violation of their rights.

Following the significant increase of migrant arrivals to Bosnia and Herzegovina in late 2017, IOM, in coordination with State, Entity, cantonal and local authorities, scaled up its operations in key migrant locations across the country through the reinforcement of IOM Mobile Protection Teams. These mobile teams have been operating since June 2017, assisting migrants in vulnerable situations, providing safe transportation, interpretation services, provision of temporary and protection-sensitive accommodation, food and other necessities.

IOM Mobile Protection Teams – strategically located to be able to cover the entire migration route, from the Eastern border with Serbia and Montenegro to the North-West border with Croatia, and the main reception centres and informal settlements – performed vulnerability screenings and referred migrants to appropriate assistance and protection service providers.

 

Latest News and Events

  • IOM’s Migration Response (as of August 2019)

     

    In 2018, with the support of the European Union (DG ECHO and DG NEAR), IOM opened four new Temporary Reception Centres in Una Sana Canton with the support of the Council of Europe Development Bank, IOM opened one new Temporary Reception Centre in Hadzici Municipality:

    Sedra Temporary Reception Centre in Cazin Municipality for families and vulnerable migrants opened in July 2018

    Usivak Temporary Reception Centre in Hadzici Municipality primarily for single men, but also for families and vulnerable migrants opened in October 2018.

    Bira Temporary Reception Centre in the City of Bihac, primarily for single men opened in October 2018

    Miral Temporary Reception Centre in Velika Kladusa Municipality primarily for single men opened in October 2018, with IOM supporting the site management from November 2018.

    Borici Temporary Reception Centre in City of Bihac, families and vulnerable migrants re-opened in December 2018 following complete renovation.

     

  • SAOPŠTENJE ZA MEDIJE / PRESS RELEASE

     

    (Sarajevo, 09th September 2019) – Within the EU funded project 'EU Support to Migration and Border Management in BiH' the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Red Cross signed an Agreement for food provision to refugees and asylum seekers in the Refugee Centre Salakovac.  The EU will fund the staff of the Red Cross of the City of Mostar, as well as the provision, preparation and delivery food.

     

  • VACANCY For a senior migration advisor in the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina EU’s Pre-Accession Assistance Project (IPA 2019)

     

    Senior Advisor for Migration management

    Number of employees: 1

    Status: consultancy contract

    Length of contract: the temporary post is foreseen for a period of 12 months starting from October 2019 with a possibility of prolongation, if needed.

    The senior advisor will reinforce the office of the Ministry of Security (MoS) by providing guidance and advice to the MoS and the relevant implementing Agencies in managing increased migration flows.

    Deadline for applications: 23 September 2019

     

  • IOM’s Migration Response (as of July 2019)

     

    IOM’s Migration Response (as of July 2019)

  • EU donated two vans to Service for Foreigners’ affairs (SAOPĆENJE ZA MEDIJE / PRESS RELEASE)

     

    (Sarajevo, 20. august 2019. godine.) - Evropska unija je nedavno obezbijedila dodatnih 14,8 miliona eura bespovratnih sredstava za nastavak podrške Bosni i Hercegovini u oblasti migracija i upravljanja granicama u kontekstu povećanog broja migranata i izbjeglica prisutnih u zemlji od kraja 2017. godine.

    To uključuje 13 miliona eura podrške za upravljanje migracijama - za koje je nedavno potpisan Sporazum o implementaciji sa Međunarodnom organizacijom za migracije (IOM) i 1,8 miliona eura humanitarne pomoći koju pruža Evropska komisija za humanitarnu pomoć i odjel za civilnu zaštitu (ECHO).

    * * *

    (Sarajevo, 20th August 2019) – The European Union has recently allocated additional €14.8 million in grants to continue to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in migration and border management in the context of the increased number of refugees and migrants present in the country since the end of 2017.

    This includes €13 million of support to migration management - for which an implementation agreement has been signed recently with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and €1.8 million of humanitarian aid provided by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).

     

     

More news

Latest Vacancy

Title Duty Station Closing Date
Assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) / Outreach Counsellor (6 positions) Sarajevo, Tuzla, Bihac, Velika Kladusa 2019-09-27
SVN 03-09-19 Grant Assistant Sarajevo 2019-10-01
JAVNI POZIV ZA DOSTAVLJANJE PONUDA – ZA GRAĐEVINSKE RADOVE NA REKONSTRUKCIJI PPC MIRAL, VELIKA KLADUŠA 2019-09-26
SVN 02-09-19 Project Officer Sarajevo 2019-09-18
SVN 01-09-19 Project Advisor Sarajevo 2019-09-18
VACANCY For a senior migration advisor in the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina EU’s Pre-Accession Assistance Project (IPA 2019) 2019-09-23
JAVNI POZIV ZA DOSTAVLJANJE PONUDA – PREVOZ DJECE/ĐAKA NA LOKALNIM RELACIJAMA 2019-09-20

IOM Sarajevo launches report funded by the IOM Development Fund

Today in Sarajevo, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched the report, ‘Mapping Major Migration Flows Over the Territory of Western Balkan Countries, 2009-2013'. This report was produced by IOM with the aim of supporting Western Balkan governments in formulating adequate policies to enhance the management of increasing mixed migration flows from, through and to the Western Balkans region. The report presents findings based on a mapping of the main regular and irregular migration flows through the territory of the Western Balkans in the period 2009-2013. The report presents migration to and from WB countries for the purposes of work, education and family reunification; irregular entry and stay of extra regional migrants; international protection; return of Western Balkan citizens under Readmission Agreements; and trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants in the region.

English

IOM Director General’s Message on International Women's Day 2015

By William Lacy Swing

More women are on the move than ever before. They represent approximately half of the world’s one billion migrants and are approximately half of the estimated 51 million displaced persons.

On this year’s International Women’s Day, IOM calls on the international community to ensure the empowerment of migrant and displaced women through the full realization of their human rights.

English

Japan Backs Reconstruction, Disaster Preparedness Projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Following catastrophic floods in May 2014, the Government of Japan yesterday (23/2) committed 6.2 million Bosnian Marks (USD 700,000) for two one-year projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). IOM will implement the BM 1.2 million Repair and Reconstruction of Centres for Disabled Children in Bosnia and Herzegovina project, which will repair and reconstruct five centres for children with disabilities, which were seriously damaged in the May 2014 floods.

English

IOM study “Labour Mobility as a Factor of Development in South-Eastern Europe”

This country reports are part of the broader IOM study “Labour Mobility as a Factor of Development in South-Eastern Europe” conducted within a project funded by the IOM Development Fund and implemented by IOM in partnership with the governments in the region in 2014. The research team produced seven separate reports for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, UNSC resolution 1244-administered Kosovo, Serbia and one regional overview. The seven reports looked at the policies and regulative mechanisms which govern labour mobility, in terms of their approaches in facilitating movements of specific categories of migrant workers, consistency with evolving regional objectives and compliance with the EU acquis and standards.

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#MigrationMeans

Within the project ‘’Scaling up Universal Access for Most at Risk Populations in Bosnia and Herzegovina –mobile populations’’ (HIV/AIDS Round 9), supported through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP BiH), funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), IOM Sarajevo hold two trainings from 16.09.- 19.09.2014, on HIV/AIDS and Mobility for municipal level health care professionals who provide healthcare services to – among others - migrants and mobile populations.

English

The Educational-Experiential Workshops Titled “Preservation of Mental Health of the Soldiers-Rescuers upon Participation in Crisis Interventions” held

During August and September 2014, within the implementation of the Project of provision of psycho-social support to the population affected by floods during May 2014, educational-experiential workshops have been held with topic “Preservation of mental health of soldiers-rescuers upon participation in crisis interventions”.

English

Special High Level Event Devoted to the First Observation of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

UN Headquarters, New York, July 14, 2014

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me to be here today and to represent the International Organization for Migration at this important event to observe, for the first time, the World’s Day Against trafficking in persons.

English