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SARAJEVO, September 14 (FENA) - Bosnia and Herzegovina records a significant increase in the number of emigrants to OECD countries (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), it was pointed out today in Sarajevo during a round table where findings and political recommendations for BiH from of the latest OECD report entitled "Labour Migration in the Western Balkans: Mapping Patterns, Addressing Challenges and Reaping the Benefits".
The round table was organized by the OECD in partnership with the Embassy of Switzerland in BiH and the Embassy of Austria in BiH.
As for the region, as the deputy director for cooperation of the Embassy of Switzerland in BiH, Chantal Felder, said, BiH has experienced a significant increase in emigration to OECD countries, and this only emphasizes the need to act and establish return mechanisms so that returnees could invest in their homeland, use newly acquired knowledge and experience to stimulate development here, and that means working on strategies and working with associations that are in contact with them abroad.
“This means establishing the conditions not only for financial investments, but also establishing contacts for the exchange of scientific knowledge and skills through universities and the academic community. The recommendations for BiH are similar to the recommendations for the entire region. Among other things, it is about increasing the confidence of the diaspora in BiH and reducing the incentive factor for migration, which means improving the living and working conditions in BiH,” emphasized Felder.
According to the Ambassador of the Swiss Confederation to BiH, Daniel Hunn, the OECD report on labor migration is current and comes at the right moment because it talks about the migration of qualified labor from BiH and the Western Balkans.
The report, he added, contains several recommendations intended for authorities and politicians to establish framework conditions for young people to have a long-term perspective here and not to leave. Ambassador Hunn said that the report shows how BiH and other countries in the region can benefit from their large diaspora and how the diaspora can be motivated to come and start business in their homeland.
“Switzerland is now home to 60,000 to 70,000 people originally from BiH and half a million people originally from the Western Balkans. We believe that these people can be useful to their homelands, and that is why we financially supported the preparation of the OECD report together with Austria, and we hope that the recommendations from the report will lead to an improvement,” said Hunn.
Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ulrike Hartmann, said that the topic of labor migration is current throughout the region, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is unfortunately facing a dramatic departure of people, and thus the necessary workforce.
“Austria is aware of this issue, and that is why we were happy to financially support the creation of an OECD expert report on labor migration in the Balkans together with Switzerland,” Ambassador Hartmann added.
The report, as she pointed out, provides valuable information for the purpose of shaping future policies.
“The mass departure of people is causally connected to the challenges that this country and its citizens face. People expect sustainable reforms, willingness to compromise, accelerated economic development and social progress. In this context, we should not forget that the BiH diaspora represents great potential. I believe that strengthening ties with the diaspora offers many opportunities of mutual interest,” added Hartmann.
(FENA) A. B.
