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SARAJEVO, January 28 (FENA) - A delegation of asylum authorities from the Italian Ministry of Interior last week began a ten-day visit to BIH. This visit is organized and supported within the EU funded project IPA II – Regional Support to Protection Sensitive Migration Management in the Western Balkans and Turkey, Phase II in the context of UNHCR’s effort to strengthen the capacities of BiH asylum and migration authorities and to exchange experiences in managing influx and more efficient asylum procedures in a mixed-movement situation.
“The choice of Italy was particularly due to the background as a country with experience and knowledge and know-how in mix movement experiences as transit country first that slowly converted in a more destination area with systems and procedures improved and functioning. I am thankful for this productive cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy and grateful to EU for their support in this important exchange,” said Ms. Francesca Bonelli, UNHCR Representative in BIH.
“We are expecting to establish more lasting co-operation with Italy as a country with a vast experience in this field with the aim of improving the asylum system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Improving the asylum system is possible through introduction of more effective mechanisms and by improving interviewing techniques, researching techniques on the country of origin, identifying vulnerable categories such as unaccompanied minors, victims of trafficking, and developing mechanisms for integration on those persons into BiH society,” said Mr. Marijan Baotić, Assistant Minister of Security of BiH in the Asylum Sector.
“These activities are part of the BiH Ministry of Security efforts of the joint contribution to pledges that Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted to the Global Refugee Forum in December 2019 in Geneva," Mr. Baotić added.
The agenda envisages visits of registration premises, reception centers, detention center and premises where refugees and migrants are processed and sheltered. It also includes trainings and exchange of best practices delivered by the Italian Delegation.
“What is significantly different from the migration management system in BiH is the fact that the Italian authorities have made a decision obliging all regions to accept migrants and refugees in order to share the burden so that not only certain areas in Italy are affected by the crisis. I think that the visit of our Italian colleagues is very important for them to be familiar with our system, to see our way of working, what problems we encounter. Italian colleagues will provide some important training in the field of migration and asylum, so I believe that we may come up with some solutions proposed by Italian colleagues, which will make a contribution to improving the situation in BiH,” said Mr. Mirsad Buzar, Deputy Director of Service for Foreigners Affairs.
The Italian asylum officials shared the challenges that they faced, particularly at the beginning of the increasing mixed movement in Italy. They also shared experiences in finding solutions to adapt to these, reiterating that it is an open on-going challenge however possible to manage.
(FENA) S. R.
