The head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Sub-regional Coordinator for the Western Balkans, Peter Van der Auweraert, has called on Bosnia's authorities not to shut down centres for irregular migrants in the northwestern Una-Sana Canton until they find alternative solutions.

Van der Auweraert, who visited the region, was quoted by the local media on Friday as saying that the closing of those camps would actually push migrants to move on to streets and all that would cause chaos if there was no alternative solution.

Currently, there are some 2,300 migrants in the ‘Miral’ and ‘Bira’ camps in the town of Bihac. The camps are situated within the private compounds, and the European Union (EU), which has provided donations for the functioning of the camps, does not want the funds to end up in the hands of private owners.

Therefore Bosnia’s authorities decided to cease paying the rent to the owners of those compounds as of 15 November.

It is still unclear what is going to happen after that date.

Therefore the IOM official calls for enabling migrants to remain in the existing camps.