ReliefWeb

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE AND LOCALIZATION

The total number of migrants observed in the locations covered was 367, out of which 366 stated that they were not accommodated in any of the official TRCs in BiH. The number of migrants observed in Round 09 remains relatively low, which is in line with the previous round. This can be explained by the fact that the temperature was particularly cold on the day of the exercise. Moreover, the number of staff involved was lower due to the ongoing COVID-19 epidemiological situation, with fewer locations visited in the Cantons FBiH.

However, it is important to underline that for the first time the data collection was also conducted in the RS entity, with the aim of increasing the geographical coverage of DTM activities in the country. As in the previous rounds, the number of migrants who declared that they are not hosted in any reception centre represents almost 100 per cent in Round 09.

Afghanistan (32.8%) and Pakistan (30.3%) are the two main declared nationalities4 of the observed persons residing outside of TRCs in BiH, followed by Morocco (10.5%), the Islamic Republic of Iran (7.4%) and Iraq (5.2%). Other declared nationalities include Algeria (3.6%), India (1.6%), and as well as Cuba, the Gambia and the Syrian Arab Republic (1.4%) and the Republic of Congo, Libya, Bangladesh, Egypt, Tunisia and Ghana with less than 1 per cent. Compared to the previous round, there was a significant increase in the number of migrants from Pakistan and Iraq, with an increase of 5.6 per cent and 3.7 per cent respectively, while there was a reduction in the number of Egyptians and Moroccans, by 5.6 per cent and 3.9 per cent, respectively.

Sex and age disaggregated data show that most migrants outside TRCs are adult males (325), followed by adult female (15), boys (13) and girls (10). Overall, adult males represent 89 per cent of the migrant population identified outside TRCs in BiH, which is the highest percentage recorded since the start of the activity in March 2021. Most of the children are from Afghanistan (44%), followed by Iraq (26%), the Islamic Republic of Iran (13%), Syrian Arab Republic (13%) and Morocco (4%).

In Round 09, out of the 119 migrants from Afghanistan, 62 (52.1%) reported to be from Kabul province, followed by 53 from Nangarhar (44.5%), and 4 from Kunduz (3.4%). Unlike previous rounds, no other provinces were recorded.

Most of the observed migrants (304, or 83% of the total) reported that they entered BiH from Serbia, 40 from Montenegro, 3 from Croatia, while for 19 migrants this information is unknown.

On the type of locations covered, most of the migrants observed were found in abandoned buildings (40.7%), followed by private accommodation that they can use for free (23.2%), outside locations including bus and train stations (16.9%), paid hostels (16.4%), makeshift barracks or tents (1.4%), other type of locations (0.82%) and lastly paid private accommodation (0.5%). According to the methodology used, migrants residing in paid hostels are counted in the number of people who do not reside in official TRCs in BiH. However, it should be emphasized that places are available in TRCs. Migrants can decide not to reside in TRCs, despite the best efforts of IOM, SFA and other humanitarian actors to inform them of the assistance available in the TRCs