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SARAJEVO, July 14 (FENA) - Chairman of the Joint Committee on Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH PA) Lazar Prodanović, Deputy Chairman Edin Musić, and members of the committee Zlatko Miletić, Munib Jusufović, Mirjana Marinković-Lepić, Ljubica Miljanović and Marina Pendeš talked today in Sarajevo with Vice-Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Ad Hoc Committee on Migration (OSCE PA) Gudrun Kugler and the Deputy Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH Dmitry Iordanidi.
Speaking about the migrant crisis as a global and security challenge facing BiH, senior OSCE and OSCE PA officials also commented on recent visits to the Borići and Lipa migrant camps in Una-Sana Canton.
Referring to the different status of migrants, OSCE officials especially pointed out the fact that a significant number of these persons, in an attempt to reach the countries of the European Union and better living conditions, became victims of human trafficking.
In this regard, they stressed the importance of identifying victims of trafficking, in order to provide them with adequate protection and assistance, but also, as they emphasized, the identification of the perpetrators of these crimes, in order to prevent and punish these criminal activities.
In this context, the importance of establishing stronger cooperation between domestic security agencies and judicial institutions in BiH, both among themselves and with international institutions dealing with this problem, was emphasized.
Detecting this type of crime as a serious problem and a special aspect of the migrant crisis, OSCE officials also pointed out the importance of the humanitarian aspect, the conditions of migrants' stay in camps and respect for their human rights and dignity, regardless of why and how they came to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
They especially referred to the importance of protection and management of the state border, political will and consensus of relevant political actors on this issue, as well as enabling the accommodation of migrants throughout the country, in order to reduce pressure on certain local communities and cantons.
Members of the Joint Committee on Human Rights of the BiH Parliament especially pointed out the problem of the eastern border, and advocated additional allocation of money in the budget of BiH institutions for the purchase of additional equipment and funds to reduce border permeability and prevent the influx of new migrants from neighboring countries.
The members of the Joint Committee also informed the high representatives of the OSCE and OSCE PA about the work plan for 2021, which, as it was said, envisages a visit to Una-Sana Canton and migrant camps in September.
(FENA) A. B.
