Since the closure of the Balkan route in early 2016, the border to Serbia is hardly passable. More and more refugees cross to Bosnia and Herzegovina instead, hoping to reach Croatia and travel on to the Schengen Zone and Northern Europe. At the moment, there is an average of 100 to 150 people crossing the border every day. Since January 2018, more than 4,870 people have arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina – as many as in the entire previous year.
As one of the poorest countries in Europe, Bosnia and Herzegovina is not prepared for this challenge. Cities in particular are unable to provide accommodation and other services. The only asylum centre in the country can accommodate about 150 people. This is why most families sleep on the street or in the park – often even without tents. People are in desperate need of simple items such as sleeping bags and blankets, food and hygiene products. In some cities, refugees have no access to public toilets and sanitary facilities. This increases the risk of diseases.
Tim Clancy, a volunteer with a CARE partner organization in Sarajevo describes the harrowing journey of a family from Syria: “They were stuck in the snow-covered mountains between Montenegro and Bosnia with their four children. We received SOS messages via WhatsApp and then mobilized everyone around us – the police, the Red Cross, the Mountain Rescue Organisation. Eventually, the family was rescued and allowed to stay in Bosnia to rest and heal. They stayed with us for months and we helped them get back on their feet. Today, they are reunited with their families.”
CARE plans to support refugees and migrants arriving in Bosnia and Herzegovina with our well-established local partner organisations. They offer emergency shelters for particularly vulnerable families and psychosocial support. In addition, a solidarity centre will be set up in Sarajevo as a central contact point for newly arriving refugees but funds are still lacking to set up all needed services.
Volunteer Tim Clancy explains: “We aim to be a one-stop-shop where migrants and refugees can receive a full range of support and services. It will be a place where one can choose clothes and shoes; receive basic medical care; be able to bring their children for play and protection; we will have a fully functional kitchen where refugees and migrants can sit and eat in a dignified manner in a clean and healthy setting. We will also have an information point where all the information regarding migration status can be obtained. And we want to give people a sense of dignity.”
The neighbouring country Montenegro is also on the map for those trying to reach Western Europe through the Balkans. There, CARE plans to support a local partner organisation in accommodating the people and started distributing sleeping bags.
Learn more about CARE's work in Bosnia and Hervegovina