Individual measure to strengthen the response capacity to manage migration flows in BiH

• In line with government decisions, this programme will ensure continued operations and maintenance of existing reception facilities across the country, including Asylum Centre (AC) Delijaš. Daily operations entail the reception and registration of migrants, asylum–seekers and refugees, screening, identification and referral of vulnerable persons, coordination of service delivery, and management of community feedback mechanisms. To facilitate a smooth transfer of responsibilities to the state, all activities will be implemented in close coordination with relevant authorities. Furthermore, this Programme will build the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs’ (SFA) operational and technical capacity in camp coordination and camp management based on the best practices piloted in TRC Lipa. From the beginning of this Programme, state and local law enforcement police bodies will provide security in TRCs. It is envisaged that by the end of the second year of the Programme, the coordination and management of all the TRCs will be handed over to the authorities, as is already the case with TRC Lipa.

• Under the second outcome, this Programme will enable the state to provide migrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees with culturally, gender and age-appropriate food and non-food items. Capacity building will focus on the procurement, storage and distribution of food and non-food items (NFIs) as well as the integration of community feedback on their quality and quantity. Implementing partners of this Programme will continue to ensure equitable access to food and NFIs during the transition period to state-led food and non-food distribution (starting in the third year of implementation) while continuing to provide technical and operational support in the post-transition phase. Furthermore, it is key to this Programme to further strengthen state capacities to manage the mixed migration response. Responding to changing migration routes, this includes the deployment of border police and other law enforcement agencies to key border crossing points as well as the procurement of necessary equipment. The Programme will also strengthen registration and refugee status determination procedures, while building technical capacity to collect, analyse and manage data, register migrants, coordinate movements, and organize returns to countries of origin. Capacity building to provide multi-sectoral support in TRCs will be provided as well.

• To ensure that asylum seekers who wish to apply for asylum in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) are identified and have access to information, counselling and legal advice, the Programme will build the operational and technical capacities of the SFA to identify and refer asylum-seekers to the Ministry of Security (MoS) in the early stages upon arrival in BiH. The capacities of state and cantonal legal aid offices to provide legal advice will be strengthened as well. Protection assistance will also be available to vulnerable migrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees. Most notably, the Programme will improve access to safe shelter and specialized services for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). Centres for Social Work will be capacitated to provide child protection. Children will also be supported with informal education and vocational training, while ministries of education and schools will be engaged to integrate migrant, asylum-seeker and refugee children into BiH’s regular education system.

• Migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees will continue to be provided with health care services through the DRC led approach until the end of 2022. In the meantime, MoS in coordination with partners will work on developing a model with greater local ownership over health care provision. The project will ensure continuity of health service provision to migrants, asylum seekers and refugees throughout the duration of the Programme.

• In order to reduce tensions and improve social cohesion between migrants and host communities, this Programme will provide small grants for civil society initiatives that increase interaction between migrants and local populations, improve mutual understanding and strengthen empathy in creative and innovative ways. The Programme will also include the reconstruction and/or upgrades of infrastructure in communities hosting migrants. Simultaneously, the Programme will invite youth-led or social enterprises to become more actively engaged in delivering services in TRCs that aim to bring host communities in contact with residents in TRCs. This may, for example, include the organization of sports events, art workshops, and small social enterprises servicing the Centres. The Programme will also support migrant inclusion and integration in host communities by providing skills training and mentorship by local businesses, institutions, and civil society organizations (CSOs). In addition, migrants may be provided with cash vouchers to further promote their participation in and contribution to local economies. Local and national media partners will be engaged to increase the visibility of these various initiatives and positive outcomes among the public.

Start Date: 1 April 2022

Estimated end date: 31 March 2025

Donor: EUD