AYS Weekend Digest 3–4/10/20: Open call for examples of human(itarian) crisis when ‘strongly condemning’ made any difference
By: Are You Syrious
Tags: Migration, Digest, UN, Europe, Refugees

AYS Weekend Digest 3–4/10/20: Open call for examples of human(itarian) crisis when ‘strongly condemning’ made any difference

International community surprised by the fact that what was announced is actually happening // Reports from Greek island of Kos raise concerns // 3 people lose lives while trying to reach Spain // Denmark wants to confiscate and tap rejected asylum seekers’ phones, plans to pay those who don’t appeal // on the inhuman treatment of asylum seekers in the UK / & more news Are You Syrious? Follow Oct 5, 2020 · 12 min read

Vienna, Austria: Several thousand people joined a demonstration in Vienna on Saturday afternoon under the motto “We have space”. Volkshilfe Österreich and the platform for a human asylum policy called for this to show that civil society in Austria is still ready to help people in need (Photo: SOS Balkanroute)

On September 30, Bira camp in Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina was evicted without notice; some people fled to the woods, while most were taken to the Lipa camp (already full) only to be refused entry. Many have spent the night outside, with no shelter.

It is estimated that there are currently around 2,500 people in the Una-Sana Canton, outside the reception centers managed by the IOM, who expects that there will be 4500 homeless people on the move in the region by the end of November. Ironically, this eviction has been strongly condemned by the EU, IOM, and the US Embassy in Sarajevo. In a statement of 1 October, the EU has “strongly condemned the unacceptable actions undertaken on Wednesday, 30 September by the Una Sana Canton authorities, forcibly transferring refugees and migrants from Bira in Bihać outside the emergency facility in Lipa, which is already at full capacity. […] These unilateral actions amplify the humanitarian crisis on the ground, jeopardise COVID-19 protection measures, and severely worsen the overall security situation. […] The EU has consistently made it clear that the emergency facility in Lipa is only a temporary COVID-19 response measure and does not fulfil basic requirements needed to host refugees and migrants in current weather conditions or across winter.” The US Embassy has re-tweeted this comment, urging “the state-level BiH authorities to take the lead in coordinating with all levels of government to ensure that migrants and asylum seekers have […] their human rights […] protected”.

The same night that the Bira camp was evicted, a terrible fight broke out between two groups of people, as we previously reported during the week. Two people died and roughly 20 were wounded, many of them seriously. Many more were frightened and shocked, including the locals who witnessed the event. Unfortunately, due to the hopelessness of the state the people are left in, it is expected that more tragic news will come as a result of no proper solutions offered or even the respect of the minimal international standards when providing shelter, WASH system and other types of support.

The illegal actions of BiH authorities have also taken place in Sarajevo, where the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Sarajevo Canton continues arresting migrants across the city, particularly in the centre of Baščaršija. Local authorities have not clarified on what grounds the migrants are arrested.

UN agencies, IOM and UNHCR in particular, have been actively involved in discussions on policies, informed of decisions and plans of actions by the local officials and other stake holders. The recent eviction of people from Bira camp could never be perceived by them as unexpected, or as a surprise move by the authorities. Instead, they should have rather developed a plan on what to do to prevent such a pointless move, suggesting more sustainable, humane actions that would point in the direction of a viable solution. Only someone who has never read a single letter on the topic of the people on the move in the Balkans could be surprised by this development, certainly not someone who has sat at the meetings where such propositions were shared in the first place. If someone, on the other hand, feels they have run out of options, ideas and capacity to do anything about the situation, any day is good to move on and allow others to work on it. People’s lives are at stake, not only UN agencies’ reputation, as one can read among the priority topics in the official communication that is available to the public.

Reactions to the recently published comments by the agencies and other international community representatives were critically referred to by local activists, once again highlighting the responsibility of international organisations and the EU for the situation:

There are different reactions among the local community, but everyone shares the disappointment with their representatives in the talks with the international community, and all those taking decisions or avoiding to do so. Some of them keep warning the situation will only get worse precisely because nobody is changing what they are doing, how they are managing the situation, placing the responsibility for the people in need on the exhausted locals who have no capacity to provide support anymore. Here is part of one of the comments from Bihać: