BiH CITIZENS’ DEPORTATION FROM THE USA KIND OF SECURITY THREAT

BANJA LUKA, FEBRUARY 9 /SRNA/ - The Dean of the Faculty of Security and Protection of the Independent University of Banja Luka, Slobodan Župljanin, has told SRNA that the deportation of BiH citizens from the United States represents a serious challenge as well as kind of a security threat.

Župljanin stated that the announced deportation of BiH citizens from the USA indicates that BiH did not take care promptly of who was leaving the country and that those who entered other countries illegally were not monitored. He believes that Republika Srpska’s position of rejecting such persons and refusing to place them in prisons in Srpska is correct, adding that the fact of 180 such persons is worrying. "Those persons caused certain problems in other countries, whether they committed some criminal acts or entered illegally, thus committing crimes," said Župljanin. He believes that BiH not facing such information for the first time and that the USA asked it to deal with the issue is a problem. "Unfortunately, it is obvious that there were more serious problems in BiH, so it did not deal with it; it has now come to the point that in a very short time it has to accept the fact that a certain number of persons from the USA will have to return to BiH," said Župljanin. He stated that this represents a serious task for several competent authorities, first of all, the Ministry of Security and Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers, and the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees, which, by coordinating activities, should ensure the full control be established over persons who will be deported to BiH. According to him, if these persons are under full control, it will be an additional cost and obligation for BiH. "However, I do not believe that full control will be gained over this process if we take into account what happened to those who returned from foreign battlefields and what kind of supervision they faced," said Župljanin. He stated that the policy implemented by the Federation of BiH /FBiH/ relied heavily on US support, but that now the approach and course is completely different. "The USA takes care of its interests, they are less interested in the situation in BiH and FBiH", concluded Župljanin. The Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers, Elmedin Konaković, said earlier that the Embassy of BiH in Washington issued passports for six citizens of BiH, who will be deported from the USA, including persons with criminal records. He said that 170 people could be deported and that such an announcement was worrying. Sarajevo media announced that Džemal Pujagić, Aladin Muminović, Siniša Elkaz, Muho Ahmetović, Denis Kljunić and El Shaer Hani will be deported from the US prisons to BiH. The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, said that hardened Islamists who may be deported from the USA to BiH, will not be able to be placed in the Republika Srpska-based prisons. The decision on mass deportations represents the realization of one of the key pre-election promises made by US President Donald Trump.