After the fall of Kabul, the world is waiting for a new wave of refugees that may flood into Europe from Afghanistan, and the fragile Afghans who are already on the border of the European Union are facing increasing uncertainty.
EURACTIV traveled to the Una Sana state in northwestern Bosnia for four days in mid-October to interview agencies and non-governmental actors to gain a clearer understanding of immigration at the EU’s external borders.
Fearing about their families returning home, hundreds of people who fled the country before the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban took over are now facing economic insecurity and weakened support structures.
Jasmin Stambolija, a municipal official in charge of immigration in western Bosnia, said: “We are worried that with the coming of spring, we will have a new wave from Afghanistan to Bihac.” This small town near the Croatian border has become a city. The main hot spot for immigrants trying to cross.
Although all participants emphasized that they have not seen an increase in Afghans so far, they are already preparing for this situation.
“After the fall of Kabul, we did not see an increase in the number of new immigrants from Afghanistan. We did monitor the movements very closely. We may look forward to them in the future, but we don’t know the exact time.” Laura Longarotti, Coordinator of the Western Balkans of the International Organization for Migration and head of the Bosnian delegation, told EURACTIV.
At the same time, those who are already in Bosnia are considering increasingly limited options, namely to either try to enter Europe or apply. Where do they seek asylum.
Their number cannot be ignored. Of the 1,101 immigrants currently choosing to stay outside the Bosnian refugee camps for privacy, freedom or convenience, more than half (51%) are from Afghanistan. Among children, this proportion is even higher.According to September data from the International Organization for Migration, of the 199 boys and girls outside the so-called temporary reception center, about 83% (163) are from the country report.
“Of course, they are fragile, and most importantly, because returning is no longer an option now,” Lungarotti said.
“So their solutions are very limited and some of them are still not interested in finding here in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, unless they make other decisions, they will stay, unless they can go to Europe, or they will stay in Europe. ,” she added.
Increased financial vulnerabilities have also exacerbated concerns about the well-being of loved ones at home.
“I sent a message but did not respond,” said a young man at the Miral camp in Velika Kladuša, who has been trapped in Bosnia for more than a year and has no family since mid-September. information.
Jelena Cesar, a researcher with Amnesty International, told EURACTIV that some Afghans in Bosnia will face financial problems with the exhaustion of their family support system.
Monetary support from the country is not only necessary for subsistence, but also necessary for crossing the border itself.
Smugglers require at least 100 to 150 euros to share a location where people may have a higher chance of success.
But the cost of “games”, that is, the way of expression used to try to cross the border, will soar rapidly due to the different ways of movement, leaving those who do not have the financial means to have no choice.
For example, the “taxi game”, taking an unmarked taxi from the border to the border while crossing on foot, may cost more than 3,000 euros.
Even if they are sure of the safety of their families, some Afghans seeking to travel to Europe in northwestern Bosnia told EURACTIV that their relatives are now unable to send them money.
The 27-year-old Hassan sighed and said, “For the game, he said he should not spend any more money.” He was referring to his uncle. He told him to get the money himself. In his current situation, this A sum of money cannot be earned legally.
However, the country director of the Danish Refugee Council, Hector Carpintero said that the humanitarian NGO team has not yet reported a weakening of the domestic financial support structure.
In his view, this is because the main source of support for many Afghans is their family waiting on the other side of the border.
“Many of the support systems for people here trying to travel to Europe are actually families in Europe,” he said.
[Edited by Alice Taylor]
