INSTITUTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS OMBUDSMAN OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
and the employees of the institutions and premises where they were held, meetings with the
responsible persons, heads of the institutions in charge of procedures in the field of migration and
asylum under the provisions of the Law on Aliens and the Law on Asylum, as well as
representatives of international organizations, local and international NGOs. The UN Special
Rapporteur on Human Rights for Migrants welcomed the efforts made by the Ombudsman to
provide a humane solution to these problems, including the Special Report on the State of
Migration in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the framework of its mandate, aimed at monitoring the situation in the area of migrations in
Bosnia and Herzegovina Ombudspersons paid a visit to the temporary reception center for
migrants „Ušivak“ 93. In this occasion they noted some positive developments regarding the legal
status of migrants. It was stated that on the day of the visit of the representatives of the Institution,
all migrants had a certificate of expressed intention to seek asylum. The NGO Your Rights
provides BiH migrants with free legal aid while psychosocial protection is provided through the
BiH Women's Initiative. The conditions of stay with an emphasis on children's accommodation,
the provision of translators and cooperation with health care facilities were examined. UNICEF
and its partner organization SOS regularly conducts various educational and psychosocial
activities for children. Children of irregular migrants attend Primary School „9. May "in Hadžići. 94
At the time of the Ombudsman's visit, the School was attended by 12 migrant children 95. A very
important role in the treatment of children has the Hadžići Social Welfare Center, which tackles
the issue of migration and the appointment of guardians to minor children. This Social Welfare
Center assumes the role of the competent center and appoints guardians for minors who are
accommodated in the Reception Center "Ušivak" by decision of the Cantonal Social Welfare
Center.
Example: 96 Ombudspersons received a complaint lodged by the NGO „Vaša prava BiH“/„Your
Rights BiH“ on behalf of the minor foreign nationals Y.I, D.B, T.M, H. A, originating from
Pakistan, M. A. from Pakistan and R. K. from Iran. The mentioned persons have expressed their
intention to seek asylum with the Foreigners' Affairs Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The
Social Protection Service of the Hadžići Municipal Administration appointed a guardian to the
mentioned minors - an employee of the NGO Foundation BH Women's Initiative. Since the
minor asylum seekers are accommodated in the Temporary reception Center Ušivak which falls
under the mandate of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs and since they possess IOM cards
comprising their ID data to corroborate their residence on the declared address, the complainant
asks the relevant bodies to accept the request for asylum and registration of minor asylum seekers
in order for them to become entitled to their guarantied rights based on this card. After the
conducted investigation and based on collected documentation, Ombudspersons issued their
recommendation 97 to the Foreigners' Affairs Service and the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and
This visit took place on 10 May 2019 by Ombudsperson Jasminka Džumhur and her associates. The discussion was
held with the Head of the Readmission Department and the representatives of the International Organization for
Migrations.
94
This visit took place on 10 May 2019 by Ombudsperson Jasminka Džumhur and her associates. In this ocassion she
had a meeting with the Director and the Expert Associate - Psychologist.
95
Children do not stay long, they mostly leave voluntarily.
96
Ž-SA-05-158/19; Ž-SA-05-159/19, Ž-SA-05-160/19, Ž-SA-05-161/19, Ž-SA-05-162/19, Ž-SA-05-163/19
97
P-160/19 dated 08 July 2019
93
32
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