prijava
SARAJEVO, March 23 (FENA) - Chairman of the Joint Committee for Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH PA) Lazar Prodanović and members of the Joint Committee Marina Pendeš and Ljubica Miljanović, held a video meeting today with the Vice President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and Acting Chair of the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Commission on Migration, Margaret Cederfelt and OSCE Special Representative and Anti-Trafficking Coordinator Valiant Val Richey on the issues of respect for human rights and the fight against human trafficking in BiH.
Senior OSCE and OSCE PA officials expressed concern about the escalation of the migrant crisis in BiH and the additional complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), and expressed particular interest in the issue of full care for migrants in BiH, respect for their human rights, especially the rights of migrant children to education, as well as incident situations, which include cases of violence against migrants.
The OSCE officials stressed that BiH has a good legislative framework for migration and asylum issues, as well as for the fight against human trafficking, but warned of the problem of law enforcement and the lack of coordination of authorities at all levels when dealing with these issues.
Members of the Joint Committee for Human Rights of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina pointed to the fact that between 20,000 and 30,000 migrants enter BiH every year, the vast majority of whom do not apply for asylum, since their goal is to go to one of the Western European countries.
The members of the Joint Committee pointed out the need to respect the Law on Migration and Asylum of BiH, as well as the need to urgently sign readmission agreements with the countries from which migrants come with the goal of their legal return to their home countries.
They called for an agreement with FRONTEX regarding securing the border with neighboring countries. The need for full respect for the human rights of migrants, including the right to health care, especially for migrants positive for COVID 19, and the rights of migrant women and children, including the right to education, was also stressed.
Members of the Joint Committee for Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina also called for stricter punishment of persons accused of illegal trafficking in human beings. In this regard, the need for the participation of the OSCE Mission to BiH in additional training projects for prosecutors working on human trafficking cases was emphasized.
During the meeting, the need for coordination of representatives of the legislative and executive branches at all levels in BiH was jointly emphasized, as well as even stronger cooperation between parliamentarians from OSCE participating states in raising awareness about the migrant crisis, the need to respect migrants' human rights and the fight against human trafficking, stated the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
(FENA) S. R.
