The Special Representative of the Secretary General on Migration and Refugees (SRSG), Ambassador Tomáš Boček, will be conducting a fact-finding mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia from 26 to 30 November 2018.

The Special Representative will visit migrant reception and detention facilities and a reception centre for unaccompanied refugee and migrant children. He will also travel to the Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina border region. The SRSG will have meetings with government officials, local authorities, the Ombudsman of Croatia and representatives from relevant international organisations and NGOs to discuss the current migratory challenges both countries are facing. Bosnia and Herzegovina has received over 20,000 refugees and migrants so far in 2018, which is over 25 times more than in 2017. Many of them are planning to enter the EU via Croatia.

This fact-finding mission will take place as a follow-up to the Special Representative’s visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 2018. During this visit, among other activities, he took part in a Council of Europe Development bank (CEB) grant agreement signature ceremony with IOM. The grant enabled the opening of a reception/transit facility for 400 persons in Ušivak, near Sarajevo, on 25 October 2018. The new facility contributes to ensuring the basic needs and human rights of migrants and refugees currently present in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The purpose of the mission is to gather information on the situation of migrants and refugees and to elaborate proposals for concrete Council of Europe action on how to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia to face the increasing migratory flows, while respecting its human rights commitments. The protection of the most vulnerable groups, in particular unaccompanied children, is one of the Special Representative’s priorities.

Following his visit, the Special Representative will publish a report setting out his conclusions and recommendations.