An appeal to end the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe: immediate action is required.
RiVolti ai Balcani welcomes and shares the appeals coming from individual citizens, activists and volunteers from Bosnia, Italy and from other European countries, with the aim of putting to an end the humanitarian catastrophe that is taking place especially in the Una Sana Canton: 3000 migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, are camping outdoors.
It is snowing and the temperature has fallen below 0°C. Hundreds of people are blocked, other hundreds are scattered in the woods without assistance.
The network “RiVolti ai Balcani” – including of over 36 entities and individuals engaged in the protection of human rights and the fundamental principles of the Italian Constitution and European and international norms – brings forward its requests to the European Union, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the EU delegation to the High Representative in Bosnia Herzegovina, the International Organization for Migration, the Council of Ministries of Bosnia Herzegovina, the authorities of the Una Sana Canton and the Bihać Municipality, the authorities of the country’s two Entities – the Federation and Republika Srpska:
- find an immediate solution to the current humanitarian emergency in the Bihać area and Bosnia Herzegovina in general;
- define long-term solutions equipping Bosnia Herzegovina with and effective refugee reception and protection system;
- enact a humanitarian evacuation programme aimed at placing the migrants in all the countries of the European Union.
Recent international press on the Balkan route:
- by The New Humanitrian: Europe’s chain of migrant expulsion, from Italy to Bosnia – November 17th, 2020
- by InfoMigrants: Italy faces accusations of indirectly supporting Balkans’ pushbacks – December 15th, 2020
- by Arbetaren (in Swedish): ”Temperaturer under noll, ingen uppvärmning, ingenting” – December 29th, 2020
