The Secretary General´s Special Representative on Migration and Refugees, Ambassador Drahoslav Štefánek, has welcomed the opening of the new Temporary Reception Centre LIPA in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The centre, which opened today, can host up to 1,500 migrants, including families with children as well as unaccompanied children. It will significantly improve their living conditions in the upcoming winter period.
The need to improve reception conditions and encourage cooperation among different levels of government was highlighted in the report on the fact-finding mission carried out in January 2021 by the Special Representative. “The opening of the reception centre in Una-Sana Canton today shows the commitment of the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve the reception conditions and treatment of vulnerable migrant groups. Adequate reception facilities are one of the key aspects of human rights-based migration management” he said.
With the support of the Migrant and Refugee Fund (MRF) of the Council of Europe Development Bank and through the implementation of the Action Plan on Protecting Vulnerable Persons in the Context of Migration and Asylum (2021-2025), the Council of Europe will continue to support the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina in protecting the human rights of migrants.