AYS Daily Digest 7/9/20: Applying political pressure on our decision-makers is critical
By: Are You Syrious
Tags: Migration, Balkans, Digest, Europe, Refugees

People on the move in Tuzla have almost no rights, and even the simplest things have become impossible. For example, they are forbidden to enter hair salons, some market places, cafes, and the atmosphere has only been inflamed further by media reports. The image they portray should be more objective because the common behavior in the community usually depends much on what the media say, local activists say.

Pressure to close the Day Centre

9 families with 41 family members were staying at the PUŽ safe house during the first eight days of September. Eighteen of them are children, and accommodation was also provided for two unaccompanied minors. Families sometimes stay for several days there until a place in the nearest camp (in Sarajevo!) opens up. The nearest camp is 130 kilometres away from Tuzla.

At the Day Centre, at least 100 people have been arriving daily in order to take a shower, to equip themselves with clothes and take food. The centre was opened in March this year, but since recently, there has been a number of city inspections. Although no legal obstacles were detected, they were told that providing hygiene support, food distribution and other activities for people in need can no longer take place in the centre. The document cites many citizens’ complaints — even though, according to the police records, there have been no security issues reported in the area around the centre. The local community simply refuses to have in their midst the centre and the people it is providing assistance to. The local activists and those providing help at the Centre have reportedly also been insulted and threatened.

Emmaus from Doboj East has been providing hot meals six days a week. The meal distribution now has to take place in the streets, parks and squats, wherever people stay. The Zemlja Djece association has been providing NFI packages for the unaccompanied minors, directing them to camps or safe houses, whenever there is enough place. One of the activities provided by the local Caritas on the premises of Merhamet is the laundry service. This has proven to be of huge help to all the people across the city who can come and wash their clothes there. Medical assistance is provided by the local Red Cross in collaboration with DRC. However, most of the more complicated issues still end up on the backs of the volunteers. Transport to the hospital, visits and equipping people for a hospital stay, these are just some of the activities done by volunteers.

As in many other areas, locals report that the international and other large organisations are definitely nowhere near doing what they can and should in the given situation. We do not know why, but are happy to receive and publish any official explanation in case there are objective reasons or the mentioned organisations think they have reached their maximum. Our address is always there for everyone who wants to react or send additional information/corrections: areyousyrious@gmail.com

What lies ahead

Colder months ahead will no doubt exacerbate the situation. Volunteers’ donations have long run dry, and winter requires serious preparation. The upcoming local elections have proven once again to be a reason to (ab)use this situation even more in political campaigns. As in other countries, fascist and politically impotent rhetoric regarding the issue of migration and people on the move is harming those whose voice and rights have long been denied. This is currently happening in the Una-Sana canton.

Worsening of the situation at Velčevo

Photos: Sanella Lepirica

From that part of the Bosnian route, our friends active in Velčevo report an ever difficult situation getting more hard to handle or respond to with each day. At a local Red Cross point next to a road, “in the middle of nowhere”, people trying to travel towards the Una Sana canton are being thrown out of buses and other transportation means, but are also taken there from the Republic of Srpska by policemen who want them out of their jurisdiction.

Children with fractures, chronic patients, old people, unaccompanied minors, … Still, there are no changes or loosening of the rigorous measures taken on the cantonal level. These people are prevented from being provided accommodation at the official camps! Why are political games always at the expense of the most vulnerable, says Sanela, coordinating the ground team

Croatia: a chronic lack of knowledge or avoiding decision making?

This question has been bothering us for years now when it comes to issues of migration, asylum, international protection, and human rights in this context in Croatia. Now, this question is openly being asked of the Ministry of the Interior by the media after the Court ruling which leads us to the conclusion that almost all the decisions on international protection issued in Croatia could be annulled if the recent ruling is applied to them.

Here is what happened. The Administrative Court in Zagreb had ruled that the Ministry of the Interior’s decision to deny the application for international protection of a woman from Tunisia was illegal due to the fact that all this time a person who cannot (legally) make such decisions has been making them. In all of the cases. One of the State secretaries of the MoI, Zdravko Katić, signed this decision, and another one, and more of the same.

All this time, it was the Minister of the Interior whose signature should have been on all the decisions, but for some reason, it seems that the Minister is oblivious to many things that have been done on behalf of his Ministry, the police and instead of him, but this one might just startle the top of the Ministry as it begs the question (already asked by the investigative journalist): How many negative decisions on international protection have so far been made by Secretary Katić, how many court procedures are ongoing against them, and who will be making these decisions in the future? Another good one is — who will sign that answer and the decision, as it seems it is never the Minister.