All News on Social Issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Stakes Could Not be Higher in Bosnian Electoral Reform Bid
Momentum is growing for a crunch reform of Bosnia's broken electoral system, but how and at what cost?
More Work, Less Pay: COVID-19 Worsens Plight of Stressed-Out Balkan Reporters
By the nature of the job, most journalists can ill-afford to stay at home. At work, however, they face a constant balancing act between getting the story and protecting their health and the health of their loved ones.
German institute published a new report: Infection was brought from so-called Kosovo
According to the online writing of the Ekonomija Online portal, the report states that after the summer vacation, 4.369 newly infected people were registered, who returned to Germany from Kosovo, while 3.903 newly registered cases arrived from Croatia.
EU Urges Bosnia to Share Migration ‘Burden’ More Equally
A European Commissioner on a visit to Bosnia on Friday called for all parts of the country to share the burden of migration equally - in an implicit dig at Bosnia's Serb-led entity, which has refused to host migrant camps.
Croatia Drags Heels on Border-Monitoring Mechanism to Prevent Migrant Abuses
Croatia's Interior Ministry was tasked during a November visit to Zagreb by officials of the European Commission and the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) with drawing up a draft mechanism as a basis for negotiations.
Montenegro’s COVID-19 Hotspots Demand New Measures as Crisis Escalates
Montenegrin minister of health Jelena Borovinic Bojovic on the press conference.Photo: Government of Montenegro
On Tuesday, the Institute for Public Health said Montenegro currently had 1,257 active coronavirus active cases for every 100,000 citizens. This is the highest rate in the region.
Turkey Triples Budget for Foundation Established to Rival Gulenist Schools
A Maarif school in Sarajevo, Bosnia, continues education during the pandemic. Photo: Maarif Schools Sarajevo
The presidential decree hiking the Maarif Foundation budget was published in the Official Gazette on Thursday. Its annual budget is now 1.23 billion lira, or about 140 million euros. This money will come from the general budget of the Education Ministry, MEB.
IOM Warns of Growing Social Tension in Bosnia Over Migrants
The world's leading inter-governmental organisation dealing with migration has warned in a document released on Wednesday that the COVID-19 panic is adding to existing strains between host communities and migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Croatia Slams MEPs’ Visit to Bosnia Border as Provocation
Croatia's Interior Minister, Davor Bozinovic, condemned a failed visit by a group of Italian MEPs to the Croatia-Bosnia border as having "the obvious intention to damage Croatia's reputation".
BIRN Fact-Check: Is COVID-19 Killing More Health Workers in Serbia than Elsewhere?
Since the turn of the year debate has been raging in Serbia over how authorities have marshalled medical resources in the fight against COVID-19 and whether enough has been done to protect frontline doctors and nurses.
UNHCR Presses Croatia to Halt Unlawful Border Pushbacks
Alarmed at the increasing frequency of expulsions and pushbacks of refugees and asylum-seekers on Europe's land and sea borders, the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, on Thursday called on European states to investigate and halt these practices.
Croatia Returned 7,000 Refugees in 2020, Bosnian Minister Says
A minister in a Bosnian canton bordering Croatia said the EU member state had forcibly returned over 7,000 migrants and refugees to Bosnia last year, asking why his own country had not done the same to its neighbours.
HRW: Rights Endangered in Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, Poland, Hungary
Human and minority rights, the rule of law and media freedom remain endangered in several Southeast and Central European countries in 2020, especially in the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, Human Rights Watch, HRW, said in its latest report published on Wednesday.
The report looks at over 60 countries, among them Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, Hungary and Poland.
Bosnia Urged to Aid Migrants amid Winter ‘Humanitarian Crisis’
Human rights organisations Amnesty International, the Jesuit Refugee Service Europe, Medecins du Monde Belgique and Refugee Rights Europe called on Tuesday for the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide emergency support for migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers.
In Bosnia, Winter Brings Fresh Crisis over Migrants, Refugees
A cold wind carrying snow lifts the tarpaulin that has been tossed over a wobbly metal frame as an improvised tent.
Winter is only just under way in northwestern Bosnia; worse is yet to come.
"We're not animals," said Yusuf, from Morocco. "We need water, electricity, food, shelter."