#MigrationMeans
#MigrationMeans
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.
The meeting started with a virtual introduction given by Mr Sacha Chan Kam, Senior Regional Migrant Protection and Assistance Specialist. The welcoming remarks by Mr Peter Van der Auweraert, Sub Regional Coordinator WB and Chief of Mission BIH followed. Then there was an overview of AVRR from the Western Balkans given by Mrs Donatella Bradic, Migration Management Team Leader followed by an open discussion. Event outlined the main opportunities and challenges in the future such as:
Socijalni radnici iz pet Centara za socijalni rad iz BiH (Ilidža, Trebinje, Bihać, Banjaluka i Bijeljina), s kolegama iz Crne Gore posjetili su Prihvatne centre i Centre za azil u Bivšoj jugoslovenskoj republici Makedoniji i Srbiji.
PRESS RELEASE: Family Members Linked to Nearly Half of Child Trafficking: New IOM, Polaris Data
SAOPĆENJE ZA MEDIJE: Članovi porodice povezani sa gotovo polovinom slučajeva trgovine djecom, Novi podaci IOM-a i Polarisa
Young activists from Jablanica finalized the project of setting up the lighting pillars and reflectors on the playground Deponija, in the community of Ostrožac, and a match between young people from the local community and representatives of the Municipality of Jablanica was held on that occasion.
First module of the workshop for parents within the framework of the project "Community Based Approach to Support Youth in Targeted Municipalities in BiH" was held in Tuzla. The goal of the workshop is to strengthen the local community and to encourage young people to become active members of society, for which parents' support is needed; 16 parents pointed their readiness and desire to transfer all that they have learned in their daily lives.
Another group of youth from Buzim, at the third MoviEQ workshop in this community, learned about the development of integrative complexity, emotions and management of them, communication, active listening, conflicts and their resolution and management, and many other topics.
Today, the IOM Chief of Mission, Peter Van der Auweraert, took delivery of the first office furniture to accommodate the new colleagues who will join IOM Bosnia and Herzegovina in December in the frame of the new USAID/OTI funded project on the prevention of violent extremism. In a second phase, also existing office furniture will be replaced.
The Ambassador of Norwegian Embassy in Sarajevo, H.E. Guri Rusten, and the Chief of IOM Mission Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Peter Van der Auweraert, signed the agreement for the project “Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Referral Mechanisms for the Prevention of Violent Extremism” on 15 November 2017.
Twenty fathers, participants of the project "Community Based Approach to Support Youth in Targeted Municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina" from Prijedor, Bužima, Bugojno Jablanica, Foca and Gornji Rahića/Maoče, last weekend participated at the workshop “Strengthening parenting skills", which is focused on the development of self-confidence in children and youth, educational styles, communication with children and youth, non-violent conflict resolution, adolescence.
On the 31st of October, 2017, IOM facilitated a Coordination Meeting of Heads of Border Police in Budva, Montenegro. This one-day meeting is one in a series of regular coordination meetings between Border Police Directorates in the Western Balkans supported by IOM, in which representatives present and exchange updated information related to the migration situation in each respective country in order to enhance coordination on shared migration challenges in the region.
