SARAJEVO, June 18 -- Bosnia and Herzegovina's authorities was urged to adequately train police forces to address the increased number of migrants in the country, officials with an international body said here on Tuesday.
Steering board political directors of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) held a press conference after a two-day meeting that focused on the need of the authorities at the state, entity, and cantonal levels to ensure that existing police forces are adequately resourced and properly trained to address migration.
Established in 1995, PIC is an international body comprising of 55 countries and agencies supporting the peace process in BiH through the Office of High Representative. The Board meets at the level of political directors twice a year.
"The message of the international community is clear, to ensure that existing police forces have adequate resources," High Representative Valentin Inzko told reporters.
PIC steering board political directors called on the BiH Ministry of Security to accelerate coordination efforts amongst the law enforcement agencies throughout BiH, which are expected to cooperate, to meet the security challenges this issue presents, the statement said.
"In the context of an increasing number of migrants, more politicians across the country have stressed the need for better governance of BiH's country's border," Inzko told reporters.
He said the Una Sana Canton, located in the northwest part of the country, where several thousand migrants reside, cannot solve migrants' problems alone, but need the help of authorities.
Hundreds of thousands of migrants passed through the so-called Balkan route in 2017, trying to reach Western Europe.
BiH was then not part of that route. From January 2019 until June 5, a total of 9,081 illegal migrants were recorded by the country's Foreigners' Office.