10 November 2022, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina – On Thursday 10 November, the Italian non-governmental organization Istituto Pace Sviluppo Innovazione Acli (IPSIA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) hosted the conference “Italian Contribution to Addressing Mixed Migration Flows in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans”, in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The event was an opportunity to look at the current migratory situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the Western Balkan region, look at numbers, trends, routes, challenges but also opportunities. 

In the framework of the event, IPSIA officially launched the project “BRAT – Balkan Route a Welcoming Transit” (BRAT project). The project is financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented by IPSIA, in partnership with Caritas Italy, the Italian Red Cross, and the local partners MFS EMMAUS, Caritas Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Red Cross Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The project aims to build the capacities of non-governmental and governmental stakeholders to implement community-based reception models, facilitating easier inclusion of migrants in host communities. The project will also create opportunities of exchange between migrant and host communities, to help break stereotypes and change the narrative on migration.

The conference also provided an update on interventions carried out under the IOM project "Strengthening the community and evidence-based migration response in Bosnia and Herzegovina and enhancing data collection and analysis on migrants in the Western Balkans", financed by the Migrations Fund of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. 
IOM presented the data collected so far through the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). DTM is a global methodology that allows to collect and analyse data on the number of irregular migrants inside and outside of official reception centres and disseminate information on mobility trends and the needs of migrants. Data is used by policymakers, practitioners and frontline actors to provide a more tailored assistance and adapt their interventions to the changes in migration flows.
Lastly, at the conference IOM presented the key recommendations of a study aimed at improving the environmental sustainability of temporary reception centres in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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