Bosnian minister seeks deportation of migrants in the midst of Coronavirus crisis

Fahrudin Radoncic also said migrants who could not obtain passports or other identification documents should be imprisoned rather than accommodated in Bosnia's immigrant camps.

Those who do not want to show their ID cards will not be allowed to use our migration and refugee camps, he said. They'll go directly to prison. And we'll keep them there for one year to five years until we can determine their identity this is our proposal for a new law. ”

He did not give the date when the proposed legislation would be ready for debate in parliament.

Comments reflect the growing frustration in the small Balkan country with the influx of migrants fleeing from violence and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, who hope to move toward Western Europe. Most end up being blocked in Bosnia, as Croatia -- the other country on the road to migration -- has established strict border controls.

“We want to ease the burden of care for 8,000 to 9,000 people here, we just can't handle this, especially now, with the virus situation,” said Radoncic. “We also want to psychologically discourage new migrants from coming here after the pandemic is completed and borders are opened again. ”