Bosnia and Herzegovina have deported the first group of Pakistani immigrants to their country, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Security said.
Bosnia and Herzegovina thus became the first country on the migration route in the Western Balkans to deport migrants without residence permits.
The ministry said that the deportation process took place in accordance with the readmission agreement signed between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Pakistan in November 2020 and the protocol for the implementation of this agreement, which entered into force in July 2021.
The ministry added that the deportation “shows Bosnia and Herzegovina’s determination to oppose all forms of illegal immigration and to return all those who do not meet the requirements for obtaining international protection.”
The ministry expected that more groups would be deported soon.
Tens of thousands of refugees and migrants have tried since 2015 to make their way to the European Union via the Balkan route, one of the main migration routes to Europe.
A total of 3,865 migrants were registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the January-April period, down about 5 percent year on year.
According to the ministry, 76 percent of the total migrants registered by the Bosnian authorities are from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
One thousand four hundred thirty-three people attempted to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina illegally during the first four months of this year, down 32 percent from the same period last year, according to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s border police.
