MARČETA: MIGRANT ARRIVAL ALARMING FOR SERB RETURNEES

DRVAR, JUNE 22 /SRNA/ – Serb returnees in the Federation of BiH support the firm stance of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik that migrants from Western Europe cannot and must not be redirected to BiH, Mile Marčeta, President of the Association of Displaced Persons from the Municipality of Drvar “Sustainable Return”, told SRNA.

Marčeta stressed that the announcement of migrant arrivals in BiH is alarming for Serb returnees, who have been struggling for decades to survive. “This is not a place for experimenting with the migrant crisis,” said Marčeta. He called on the EU and all levels of government in BiH not to forget that this is a country where people are trying to return to their homes and live with dignity. He pointed out that the United Kingdom, through its decisions, is acting against the interests of both BiH and the Serbs. Marčeta emphasized that Serb returnees have never been given a real chance, as sustainable return has been systematically obstructed from the time the cantons were established up to the present day. Now, he warned, the presence of migrants—whose identities and origins remain unknown—poses an additional threat. “If the authorities in BiH, in Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH, do not respond immediately, who will protect the people? We don’t have the resources to deal with such problems on our own. If we are ignored, we will be forced to take action,” said Marčeta. The UK government has officially announced its intention to relocate around 60,000 unwanted migrants from Asia and Africa to the Balkans—specifically Serbia (including Kosovo and Metohija), BiH, North Macedonia, and Albania. The European Commission also announced that EU countries will extradite tens of thousands more problematic asylum seekers to Balkan states.