From 24 to 30 January 2021, the Special Representative conducted a mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina where he visited reception facilities in the Una-Sana and in Sarajevo Cantons. He also met representatives of local, cantonal and national authorities and representatives from relevant international organisations and NGOs.
“The aim of my visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina was to assess the reception and living conditions of migrants and refugees on site and discuss possible solutions with the authorities and the different stakeholders involved. I found the conditions difficult, aggravated by the heavy snowfall and cold, especially in the emergency camp of “Lipa” near Bihac. However, I was encouraged by the efforts made by the authorities to improve the conditions with heated tents, sanitary installations, and access to health care. I met a doctor who told me that nearly half of the migrants in the camp were affected by scabies and due to the cold, there were cases of ear infections and pneumonia. A sustainable solution must be found to avoid repetition of such situations next year”, concluded Ambassador Drahoslav Štefánek.
After the visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Special Representative held video meetings with the EU Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs and Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations. The meetings aimed at highlighting the Council of Europe´s added value with regards to the human rights of migrants and refugees, especially the most vulnerable groups. As stated in the mandate of the Special Representative, the objective was to enhance synergies and co-ordinate actions with the international partners.
On 15 February 2021, the Special Representative participated in the World Forum for Democracy discussion on "Disasters, displacement and climate change" through a video message.
“There is no doubt that climate change is one of the biggest challenges for human mankind. It can result in the displacement of thousands, even millions of migrants in the future. We have to be visionary, and we have to be prepared, the Special Representative said.
He cited the most recent case law on this field: Last year, there was a breakthrough case in the UN Human Rights Committee, where it ruled that sudden onset events, or slow onset processes, can be a reason for granting refugee status. It was a case against New Zealand where a national of Kiribati complained that rising sea levels was depriving him of land where he could work. The situation could also lead to violence among the population fighting for the best land and the best resources and fresh water. There was another case in January 2021 in France, where a Bangladeshi national was granted temporary status because of his respiratory problems and diseases, if returned to his home country. In addition, in September last year, the European Court of Human Rights, gave notice about a case concerning the climate change. “Climate change and Human rights are more and more interconnected, and our portfolio to care about Human rights of migrants and refugees, will be becoming very much relevant”, the Special Representative concluded.
On 1 February 2021, the Special Representative co-ordinated and submitted the Council of Europe's input to the UN OHCHR Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Felipe González Morales. The UN Special Rapporteur had requested information both from member states and from international partners to feed in his forthcoming report to the 47th session of the Human Rights Council in June 2021, exploring ways and means to address the human rights impact of pushbacks of migrants on land and at sea.