English below.

Na ruke:

  • Ingrid Macdonald, rezidentna koordinatorica UN u BiH
  • Peter Van der Auweraert, predstavnih IOM-a u BiH
  • Johannes Sattler, šef Delegacije Evropske unije u BiH

Obraćamo vam se povodom vaših izjava u medijima vezanih za nelegalno pražnjenje logora Bira i Miral. 

Kao braniteljice ljudskih prava iz BiH i sa Balkana, osjećamo obvezu da se oglasimo nakon što su vlasti Unsko-sanskog kantona izvršile ono čime su prijetile već izvjesno vrijeme, tj. pražnjenje logora Bira i Miral i protjerivanje ljudi u pokretu iz centra Bihaća i Velike Kladuše. S obzirom da su UNHCR i IOM redovno prisutni na sastancima Operativne grupe za koordiniranje aktivnosti i nadzor nad migrantskom krizom na području USK te da svakodnevno imate priliku svjedočiti govoru mržnje, nasilju, protuustavnim i nelegalnim politikama vladajućih struktura, te na iste ne reagujete već duži period, licemjerno je tvrditi da je ovo što se sada dešava za vas neočekivano. Biti prisutni na sastancima na kojima se donose odluke o sprovođenju politike zločina protiv čovječnosti bez adekvatnih reakcija je saučesništvo. 

Vrlo dobro znate da je nelegalno pražnjenje logora Bira i Miral sastavni dio progona ljudi u pokretu te protuustavne i nelegalne politike vladajućih struktura u Unsko-sanskom kanton, ali i državnih organa koji svojim nedjelovanjem sudjeluju u činjenju zločina protiv čovječnosti. Kao građanke ove države i ove regije obaveza nam je istaći da su javne reakcije UN-a, UN agencija i EU, kao i pojedinaca koji predvode te organizacije u BiH, ne samo zakašnjele već predstavljaju  pokušaje pranja vaše suodgovornosti u ovom zločinu protiv čovječnosti koji traje od 2018. godine. 

Od kako je BiH postala zemlja tranzita za ljude u pokretu lokalne aktivistice i aktivisti vas upozoravaju da će vaš prustup takozvanom „upravljanju migracijama“, u kojem UN, odnosno IOM, učestvuje na najaktivniji mogući način dovesti do katastrofe – kako za ljude u pokretu tako i za lokalno stanovništvo. Ljudi u pokretu, koji zbog tromosti EU administracije te nesolidarne, nehumane i nadasve rasističke migracione politike EU, prelaze na hiljade kilometara kako bi ostvarili pravo na dostojanstven život u EU, završavaju u logorima u BiH. Od 2018. godine IOM i druge UN agencije u BiH aktivno učestvuju u kreiranju nehumanih i degradirajućih uslova za te ljude u vidu neuslovnih sabirnih logora u kojima uposlenici zaštitarskih firmi koje plaća IOM sprovode nasilje nad ljudima u pokretu (zabilježeno je čak i ubistvo), a uposlenici IOM-a i partnerskih ogranizacija odbijaju im pružiti adekvatnu medicinsku pomoć, drže ih zatvorene (pod izgovorom pandemije), dozvoljavaju razne oblike rodnozasnovanog nasilja unutar logora, ne pružaju adekvatnu hranu ni higijenske uslove, itd. O ovome su aktivistkinje i aktivisti nebrojeno puta obavještavali sve nadležne unutar administrativnog lanca UN-a. Napominjemo, BiH društvo ima traumu od UN (ne)djelovanja još iz ratnog perioda 1990-tih i ovo novo UN-ovo učešće u zločinu protiv čovječnosti na teritoriji BiH samo produbljuje traume bosanskohercegovačkog društva.

U svojoj reakciji na dešavanja u USK Delegacija EU lažno tvrdi kako su Bosni i Hercegovini data velika sredstva za „upravljanje migracijama i azilom“. Istina je da je novac fakturisan BiH, ali su ga najvećim dijelim primali IOM i ostale UN agencije i njihovi partneri. Za ovakvu raspodijelu sredstava često se navodi korumpiranost i neefikasnot bh. institucija ali napominjemo da su institucije i organi sasvim prihvatljivi partneri kada se radi o milionskim kreditnim sredstvima i novcu za militarizaciju policije i učvršćivanje granica. Ne želimo osloboditi odgovornosti elite na vlasti, koje su tu u velikoj mjeri zahvaljujući EU podršci. Humanitarno zbrinjavanje ljudi na teritoriji BiH jeste zakonska obaveza državnih institucija. Međutim, preusmjeravanjem novca IOM-u i drugim UN agencijama i partnerima, EU svjesno učestvuje u kreiranju začaranog kruga „izgovora“. Vladajućoj eliti se omogućava izgovor da nemaju novca za provođenje obaveza, a IOM-u i drugim UN agencijama da se konstantno pozivaju da upravljanje migracijama i azilom nije njihova obaveza. 

Ne pristajemo na to da UN i EU u javnosti izlaze sa kritikom vlasti u BiH ne preuzimajući potom  dio odgovornosti. Želimo istaći da UN i EU nisu nevini u ovom zločinu protiv čovječnosti koji se sprovodi nad ljudima u pokretu, niti ćemo dozvoliti da vašim reakcijama na dešavanja iskrivite stvarnost u kojoj vaša djela i nedjela potpomažu činjenju krivičnih djela.

U solidarnosti sa ljudima u pokretu, 

Transbalkanska solidarnosti

______

To the attention of:

  • Ingrid Macdonald, resident coordinator of UN in BiH
  • Peter Van der Auweraert, representative of IOM in BiH
  • Johannes Sattler, head of the Delegation of European Union in BiH

We are addressing you following your statements in the media related to the illegal emptying of the Bira and Miral camps.

As human rights defenders from BiH and the Balkans, we feel obliged to speak out after the Una-Sana Canton authorities have done what they have been threatening to do for some time now, i.e. emptying the Bira and Miral camps and expelling people on the move from city centres of Bihac and Velika Kladuša. Considering that you are regularly present at the meetings of the Task Force for Coordination of Activities and Monitoring of the Migrant Crisis in the USC through UNHCR and IOM representatives, and that you have the opportunity, on daily basis, to witness hate speech, violence, implementation of unconstitutional and illegal policies of the governing structures, and have been silent about it for a long time now, it is hypocritical to claim that what is happening now is unexpected. To be present at meetings at which decisions on the implementation of policies of crimes against humanity are made without adequately reacting to them in order to prevent them equals complicity.

You know very well that the illegal emptying of the Bira and Miral camps is an integral part of the persecution of people on the move and of the unconstitutional and illegal policies of the ruling structures in Una-Sana Canton, as well as of the state bodies that participate in crimes against humanity. As citizens of this country and this region, we are obliged to point out that the public reactions of the UN, UN agencies and the EU, as well as the individuals who lead these organizations in BiH, are not only belated but represent attempts to whitewash your part in this crime against humanity that is ongoing since 2018.

Since BiH became a transit country for people on the move, local activists have been warning you that your approach to so-called “migration management”, in which the UN, in particular IOM, participates in the most active way possible, will lead to a disaster – both for people on the move and for the local population. People on the move, who, due to the sluggishness of the EU administration and the antagonizing, inhumane and above all racist migration policy of the EU, travel thousands of kilometers in order to exercise their right to a decent life in the EU, end up in camps in BiH. Since 2018, IOM and other UN agencies in BiH have been actively involved in creating inhumane and degrading conditions for these people in the form of inhumane concentration camps in which employees of security companies paid by IOM commit violence against people on the move (even murder has been reported), while employees of IOM and partner organizations refuse to provide them with adequate medical care, keep them locked up (under the pretext of a pandemic), allow various forms of gender-based violence within the camp, do not provide adequate food or hygiene, etc. Activists have repeatedly informed all officials within the UN administration chain about this. Please note that BiH society has been traumatized by the UN since the war in the 1990s, and this new UN involvement in crimes against humanity in BiH only deepens the traumas of BiH society.

In their reaction to the happenings in Una Sana Canton the Delegation of EU falsely claim that a large amount of funding has been given to BiH for the “management of migration and asylum”. It is true that the money has been billed to BiH but the biggest portions of it have gone to IOM and other UN agencies and their partners, not to governmental institutions. It is often stated that the reason for why the distribution of money has gone disproportionately to UN agencies is because of the corruption and inefficiency of the BiH institutions, but let us remind you that these very same institutions and bodies are fully acceptable partners when it comes to millions in loans or when it comes to money for the militarization of the police and border fortification. We do not want to relinquish the elites in power, who remain in place largely due to the EU support, from their responsibility. Humanitarian care of the people on the BiH territory is a legal obligation of the State institutions. However, by redirecting money to the IOM and other UN agencies and partners, the EU is knowingly participating in the creation of a vicious circle of “excuses”. The ruling elite is given an opportunity to use the excuse that they do not have money to carry out their obligations, while the  IOM and other UN agencies use this to constantly claim that migration and asylum management is not their obligation, all while receiving money for it.

We cannot sit by while the UN and EU make public statements criticising the authorities in BiH, while at the same time refusing to to take any responsibility. We want to highlight that the UN and EU are not innocent bystanders in this crime against humanity against people on the move, nor will we allow your statements to distort the reality in which your actions and inactions facilitate criminal acts. 

In solidarity with people on the move,

Transbalkan solidarity