From 26 September until 3 October, a delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina including representatives of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, the Ministry of Security’s Sector for Asylum, and participated in a study visit to Italy.
The visit was organized with the support of the Italian Government in the context of UNHCR’s effort to strengthen the capacities of BiH asylum and migration authorities and to further improve asylum procedures in a mixed-movement situation and exchange experiences in more efficient asylum practices. The authorities of both countries shared information about the asylum system in their respective countries and engaged in discussions on similarities and differences, and how to learn from each other.
“The study visit was an excellent opportunity to learn from experiences and lessons learned presented by the authorities of Italy. Representatives of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs and the Sector for Asylum gained insight into various efficient and effective practices that could potentially be replicated. We continue working to support any initiatives to further enhance the asylum system in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” said Mr Vahidin Ogresevic, Head of the UNHCR field office in Bihać.
The BiH delegation met with several national and local Italian government institutions, such as the Italy National Commission for the Right to Asylum, the Immigration Office, the Territorial Commission of Rome and the Territorial Commission of Bologna.
The delegation also visited civil society organizations focusing on providing shelter and psychosocial support to vulnerable asylum-seekers and their integration in the local communities. Moreover, the BiH delegation witnessed multiple registrations of asylum-seekers and Refugee Status Determination (RSD) interviews to gain an in-depth and practical insight in the RSD procedures in Italy.
In the upcoming weeks a recap meeting will be organized with all participants of the BiH delegation and UNHCR to discuss the key findings and lessons learned from the study visit. The conclusions will be presented, including recommendations on the good practices in Italy that could potentially be replicated in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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