Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) experienced a substantial increase in mixed movement arrivals from 2018 (over 85,000 at the end of 2021). In 2021, the BiH authorities registered the asylum claims of 167 individuals, a 32% decrease from the 245 claims registered in 2020, which was already a significant decrease compared to 2018 (1,572) and 2019 (785). In 2021, most asylum-seekers were coming from Türkiye, Afghanistan and Iran.

UNHCR in Bosnia and Herzegovina's main objectives are aimed at strengthening identification and referral of people in need of international protection, access to free legal aid, psychosocial assistance, accommodation and recreational/educational activities for asylum-seekers with specific needs. UNHCR also supports BiH in integrating recognized refugees and persons under subsidiary protection, including upgrading the legal framework.

Furthermore, UNHCR supports the authorities within the Regional Housing Programme – initiated by UNHCR and designed to find solutions for the protracted displacement situation from the conflicts in the nineties.

Since the beginning of UNHCR's global #IBelong campaign in 2014, UNHCR and partners successfully resolved 827 cases of people at risk of statelessness as of the end of 2021. As UNHCR estimates, less than 100 people are currently at risk of statelessness in BiH.

Additional information

For information about our work in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Help

Are you a refugee or asylum-seeker in Bosnia and Herzegovina? Find information about your rights and available services on our HELP site.

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Operational updates

For up-to-date information about our programmes and operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including funding level and donor contributions, visit Global Focus, UNHCR's reporting portal.

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Legislation and guidance

For legislation, case law and UNHCR policy relating to claims for international protection, visit Refworld.

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Visit Refworld