Bosnia’s Migrant Detention Practices Raise ​Concerns

‍ Updated May 26, 2025
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governments considering ⁤sending migrants to Bosnia and ⁣Herzegovina should‍ be concerned about the country’s⁢ treatment of detained migrants,‌ Human Rights Watch⁣ said ⁤Monday. The organization cited processing ‍delays, limited access to lawyers, and troubling conditions as key issues.

The⁢ UK government has floated ⁣Bosnia and Herzegovina as a potential location for⁣ a ‍return ⁤hub, ⁣along wiht Serbia and Albania. This hub would house asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected⁤ while arrangements are made ​for their​ return to their countries of origin.

“Prolonged​ detention​ of⁣ migrants without ‍adequate safeguards puts people at risk of rights violations,” said Hugh ‌Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at human Rights Watch.​ He added that adding‌ rejected asylum seekers to ​Bosnia’s already problematic detention‍ system would only worsen existing abuses.

The European‌ Commission has also proposed establishing return hubs outside the⁣ EU to facilitate returns ‌of⁤ people ordered to ⁣leave ⁢the EU. They also proposed making it easier for EU countries to send asylum seekers to countries outside the EU designated as “safe”‌ for processing asylum claims.‍ Human⁢ Rights Watch has stated⁤ that‌ outsourcing duty ‌for migrants​ and asylum seekers is inherently problematic.

During a two-week visit to Bosnia in April 2025, ​Human‌ Rights watch investigated⁤ the situation for migrants and asylum⁢ seekers. At ⁢a detention center near ​Sarajevo,researchers found delays in processing‌ returns,leading to​ prolonged⁤ detention in some ⁢cases. Staff controlled the visit,‌ preventing private conversations with detainees.

While‌ detention⁣ center ‌staff described good conditions,‌ the legal aid organization Vasa Prava BiH reported receiving different accounts⁤ from detainees, ​especially regarding time outside. Access⁤ to legal advice is restricted,‌ and no counseling services ‌are available for those with‌ mental health‌ needs.

The UNHCR has raised concerns​ about transparency ⁤and accountability in ‌detention with‌ the country’s Ombudsman’s office, urging an official report on detention conditions, which has yet to be produced.

Officials from the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs said migrants are generally detained on national security grounds, criminal charges, ‌or when there is a good chance for ​repatriation.

Vasa⁤ Prava BiH provides free⁤ legal advice, but it’s services are not⁢ always readily accessible to detainees. The⁢ Service for ⁤Foreigners’ Affairs sometimes fails to ⁣inform them when a detainee‍ requests a lawyer. Details of charges,⁣ especially those involving national security, are often withheld from detainees and ‍their lawyers.

In 2023, ⁣Bosnia granted​ refugee status to only four ⁤people and subsidiary protection to 63, despite receiving 147 asylum applications. The UNHCR noted that ⁣processing can take up to 344 days,leaving asylum⁣ seekers ‍without⁣ rights while awaiting ⁢a decision.

Bosnia‍ serves mainly ⁣as⁣ a transit country. In 2023, over 4,000 ‌third-country nationals were returned to Bosnia from EU member states. Bosnian authorities transferred 298 people under readmission agreements, mostly to Serbia. The International​ Organisation for Migration ⁣assisted 96 ‍people with voluntary returns, and authorities assisted 381,‍ mostly Turkish nationals.

bosnian authorities issued 683‌ detention⁣ and 79 ​deportation decisions in 2023.The lack of access to protection and the⁢ risks of prolonged ‍detention lead ⁢manny to attempt re-entry into the EU.

Human Rights Watch urges the‍ EU ‌and the UK to support the advancement of functioning asylum systems ‍in the Balkans instead of ⁢treating the ​region as a “warehouse” for migrants.

“Bosnia is already being used ‌as a dumping ground for people who happen to transit through it on their ⁤way to ‌the EU,” ​Williamson said. “Bosnia’s international partners should be‍ helping it to ⁣elevate its ‌existing systems to protect asylum seekers and ⁤migrants, not encouraging it to take steps that will only make things‌ worse.”

What’s next

The UNHCR ​and human rights⁢ organizations continue to press⁢ bosnian authorities for greater ‌transparency and improved conditions within migrant detention centers. Further⁣ reports​ and advocacy are‌ expected to address the systemic issues within Bosnia’s asylum and migrant processing ‍systems.