MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Undermining EU interests: the Lipa reception centre on the Balkan migration route – E-003043/2024(ASW)

Bosnia and Herzegovina has significantly strengthened its migration management, border management and asylum, with EU support of more than EUR 140 million since 2018.

Bosnia and Herzegovina also benefits from regional EU programmes supporting border management and anti-smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings.

Thanks to EU support, four temporary reception centres provide shelter for approximately 4 500 persons across Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They play a key role for the identification and assessment of the status of migrants, including access to asylum for persons in need, and possible return of persons not in need of international protection, as well as for statistical data collection.

EU support has helped the country avoid a repetition of the tragic events witnessed in the winter of 2020-21, following the fire at the former centre in Lipa.

At the current multi-purpose reception and identification centre in Lipa, which is operational since 2021, migrants are registered, their status is assessed to establish if they intend to seek asylum in the country and their identity is checked when entering and leaving the centre.

The centre is built in accordance with EU standards[1] and is managed by the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities with EU support. The EU-funded operation of the Lipa centre is subject to regular monitoring visits, detailed reporting and independent audits as per usual practice.

• [1] Commission Implementing Decision on the financing of the individual measure to strengthen the response capacity to manage migration flows in favour of the Western Balkans for 2022, C(2022) 2561 final.