The European Union has announced the start of a project to provide an additional 6.4 million euros to strengthen border and migration management in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision has been made due to the substantial rise in the number of irregular arrivals in BiH in recent years, highlighting the necessity for enhanced management techniques, which have put a strain on the country's ability to effectively handle mixed-migration movements and border operations.

Since 2017, there has been a notable increase in the number of migrants passing irregularly through Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), which has persisted in 2022 and 2023. This reality highlights the urgent need for improved management strategies to address the challenges faced by BiH. While efforts have been made since 2018 to enhance the country's capacity for border and migration management, challenges persist due to limited human and technical capacities.

To address these issues, this EU-funded project will focus on improving Integrated Border Management in line with human rights standards. The project will also align with the EU Action Plan for the Western Balkans and relevant strategies in BiH. Its overall objective is to improve Integrated Border Management and strengthen the capacities of border management beneficiaries to effectively implement migration policies in accordance with EU standards.

In addition to providing large-scale necessary technical equipment, the project will build the capacities of border management personnel, in order to ensure that appropriate skills are in place in regard to rights-oriented border management, and that beneficiaries' skills match the technical equipment and organizational needs. The relevant, gender- and protection-sensitive and fundamental rights compliant approaches to border and migration management will be embedded into the capacity building activities. The EU's support through this project demonstrates its continuous commitment and partnership with BiH in addressing migration and border management challenges in the country. This includes training for 150 new Border Police cadets.

The European Union has also been providing support to the Ministry of Security and its relevant agencies through the project "Individual measure to strengthen the response capacity to manage migration flows in BiH". To date, this support has included the provision of specialized equipment, training of government officials, and operational support. The project will be implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in close cooperation with the Ministry of Security of BiH.