Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Bosnia and Herzegovina Migration Profile (hereinafter: BiH Migration Profile) resulted from the need to establish a mechanism for gathering statistical data on migration and international protection, a system for processing migration statistics, and a system for timely and adequate reporting on migration flows in BiH. The aim of this document is to provide the BiH Council of Ministers with an insight into key migration trends, and the Ministry of Security with the possibility of developing adequate policies and adopting relevant regulations. This document also provides international organisations active in the field of migration with a more comprehensive insight into migration trends in BiH.

The annually updated BiH Migration Profile fulfills a commitment from the Visa Liberalisation Road Map presented by the European Commission to BiH authorities in June 2008 with respect to “Migration management” - “set up and start to apply a mechanism for the monitoring of migration flows, defining a regularly updated migration profile for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with data both on illegal and legal migration, and establishing bodies responsible for collection and analysis of data on migration stocks and flows.”

A comprehensive fulfilment of conditions from the Road Map, including the Migration Profile requirements, ultimately resulted in the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina being granted a visa free regime on 15 December 2010.

The first BiH Migration Profile was adopted at the BiH Council of Ministers session held on 24 September 2009, and its development was preceded by the “Analysis of Measures necessary to set up a mechanism for the monitoring of migration flows and defining a migration profile for Bosnia and Herzegovina” that included the legal, institutional and organisational framework for gathering migration statistics in BiH, as well as an overview of European and international standards and practices in the area of migration statistics. For the purpose of setting up and applying a mechanism for the monitoring of migration flows and an annually updated BiH Migration Profile, instruments for gathering and exchanging statistics were formalised by a BiH Council of Ministers Decision obliging relevant institutions and agencies to submit data through 34 predefined tables in line with their competences and with the parameters necessary to define the Migration Profile and monitor migration flows in BiH. This Decision defined the type and structure of statistical data on migration and international protection and the obligations of BiH institutions to gather statistics on migration and international protection from within their competences, as well as to submit such data to the Ministry of Security by 31 January for the preceding year. The institutions that submitted statistical data in line with the Decision for the purpose of defining the BiH Migration profile for the year 2013 are: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Sector for International-Legal and Consular Affairs, Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees - Diaspora Sector, Ministry of Civil Affairs - Sector for Citizenship and Travel Documents, Labour and Employment Agency of BiH, Ministry of Security - Sector for Immigration, Ministry of Security - Asylum Sector, Ministry of Security- Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, and Ministry of Security - BiH Border Police.

The data submitted by institutions and agencies underwent quantitative and qualitative analysis. Annual reports from individual institutions and agencies were used as additional sources of qualitative information needed for the purpose of interpreting migration statistics and trends. Quantitative and qualitative data processing was performed for the major migration flows in the past 10-year period, i.e. from 2004 to 2013, and comparative indicators were defined for all migration flows for the period of 2012 and 2013. The BiH Migration Profile for the year 2013 was compiled based on the processed and analysed available data.

The BiH Migration Profile for the year 2013 contains the following data: visas, refusal of entry and illegal border crossings, temporary and permanent residence of foreign nationals, illegal migration and measures undertaken against foreign nationals, return of irregular migrants, international protection (asylum), work permits issued to foreign nationals, granting of BiH citizenship, emigration from BiH, BiH immigration policy, legal and institutional framework.