(Sarajevo, 5 October 2021) – Today, Her Excellency (HE) the Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Ivana Hlavsová and the IOM Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Western Balkans and IOM Bosnia and Herzegovina Chief of Mission, Laura Lungarotti visited Temporary Reception Centre (TRC) Ušivak, Hadžići in Canton Sarajevo.

The visit is held in the frame of the 12-month project “Strengthen Evidence Based Migration Response through Enhanced Data Collection on Migrants Presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Capacitate the State to Process Returns of Migrants to Their Countries of Origin”, funded by the Czech Republic Ministry of Interior’s Aid in Place Programme, worth 20,000,000 Czech Krona (Equiv. to 1.5 million KM).

The project is complementing the current humanitarian response in BiH, to better understand the volume of migrants and asylum-seekers transiting through and present in the country, their locations, movement patterns, profile and needs, and to complement the ongoing efforts of the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme to support voluntary, informed, safe, secure, humane, and dignified return and reintegration options for migrants stranded in BiH.

The project that allows the IOM to capacitate the State to process returns of migrants to their countries of origin, builds on three main outcomes: to generate up-to-date data on mixed migration flows and make it available to key stakeholders in BiH; to support BiH State authorities provide guidance on how to better manage and analyse data and address capacity gaps for the identification, screening and registration of migrants; and to strengthen BiH State authorities capacity to offer durable solutions to migrants and help in the process of returns to their countries of origin.

To enable Government agencies, humanitarian actors and IOM, to provide a more tailored assistance, the project supports country’s efforts to implement the migrants’ presence methodology, which is part of IOM’s global Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) system, to collect and analyse data on the number of irregular migrants inside and outside of official reception centres and disseminate critical multi-layered information on the mobility, vulnerabilities and needs of migrants.

Moreover, the project is supporting BiH State authorities through technical assistance and knowledge transfer to enhance data collection and analysis, particularly in the framework of the SMART CAMP management system, and to better identify and provide protection-sensitive services for migrants both inside and outside the country's reception facilities.

Lastly, during its duration, the project will ensure an informed decision-making of migrants on their decision to return to their country of origin through IOM’s AVRR programme, ensuring that it provides up-to-date information to newly registered migrants.

“As a member of the European Union and the Schengen area, the Czech Republic supports the countries in its close neighbourhood in their efforts to ensure stability and security. In the last years, Bosnia and Herzegovina has faced increased intensity of migration flows, which is very challenging for the local authorities. Being aware of this situation, the Government of the Czech Republic has decided to support Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I personally highly appreciate the work of the IOM staff and admire the efforts of all organizations that are involved in the successful management of the Temporary Reception Center in Ušivak.” Ambassador Hlavsová said.   

 “I am glad to be here with the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ms. Ivana Hlavsová, to highlight the important contribution of the Czech government to support migration management in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Already since the start in July, the project has supported 3 joint data collection exercises by IOM and the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs. These data and checks provide a reliable snapshot of the migration trends to help us adapt the response in the field.

The project also supports the cooperation with the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs and Border Police in the areas of registration and vulnerability screening, and return and reintegration. Recently, in September, the SFA organized a training for new staff who will work in the new transit reception centre in Lipa, thanks to the Czech contribution.”, said Laura Lungarotti.