Migration situation in BiH

The average length of stay for migrants since the beginning of 2023 is seven days. Migrants predominantly originate from Morocco, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. There have been low numbers of asylum claims, as BiH primarily serves as a transit country toward Western Europe. Migrants often face significant risks and abuse along their journey, including health problems, exploitation, violence, and human trafficking, making access to protection, medical care, psychological support, and legal aid essential upon their arrival in BiH. BiH has been facing humanitarian and security challenges in managing waves of irregular migrants. The authorities' efforts have been hampered by lack of technical, human, and financial capacities. Apart from its bilateral partnership and development support, the Swiss Government has been providing extraordinary assistance to BiH since 2018, focusing on strengthening migration management, improving humanitarian response, and enhancing protection mechanisms for vulnerable migrants.