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Bosnia and Herzegovina Operational Update – August 2022


\3,076 migrants and asylum-seekers arrived irregularly in BiH in August, representing an increase of 47% compared to the number of arrivals recorded during the previous month (2,090) and 78% increase compared to arrivals reported in August 2021 (1,731). 98,507 arrivals have been recorded since the start of the mixed movement in January 2018.

2,878 persons (94%) arriving in August expressed an intention to seek asylum with the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs (SFA). The majority declared to be from Afghanistan (42%), Burundi (17%) and Iran (Islamic Republic of) (9%).

7 Refugee Status Determination (RSD) interviews were conducted in August, all of them in UNHCR’s Information Centre. 10 decisions* were issued in August: 9 granting subsidiary protection while 1 was negative decision. 10 asylum applications were otherwise closed (6 cases involving 10 persons suspended).

18 asylum claims were registered with the Sector for Asylum in August (10 cases involving 18 persons), 10 of them were conducted in UNHCR’s Information Centre in Sarajevo, 7 in AC Delijas and 1 in Immigration Centre.

291 days was the average length of the asylum procedure for first-instance decisions** issued in August.

62 days was the average amount of time persons waited to register*** an asylum claim for those claims registered in August.

2,272 asylum-seekers and migrants were accommodated in reception facilities at the end of August, while 450 persons are estimated to be squatting outside of formal accommodation, mostly in Una-Sana Canton.

81% of asylum claim registrations scheduled in UNHCR’s Information Centre for August were conducted, the highest rate in 2022 so far.

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees