"Migrants in Bosnia are increasingly deciding to return to their countries of origin," the Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Bosnia, Laura Lungarotti, told N1 television on Wednesday.

She noted that although the migrants currently in Bosnia are a very diverse group with many different nationalities and ethnicities “about 80 percent of them are men aged 18-45 who often travel in groups” and that, after they try to reach Western Europe several times, “they often decide to return to their country of origin.”

Lungarotti explained that the process of returning the migrants is conducted via the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration program which the IOM implements together with Bosnia’s Service for Foreigner’s Affairs and the representative offices of the countries of origin.

In recent years Bosnia had become a popular destination for illegal migrants originating mainly from the Middle East and North Africa traveling the so-called Balkan route. Once in Bosnia, they often travel to the country’s northwestern corner in the hopes of crossing into Croatia and moving on to Slovenia – the closest country which is part of the EU’s passport-free Schengen area.

If caught in Bosnia, they are registered and put into holding centers where they have to formally apply for asylum in Bosnia and wait until their application is either rejected or approved. According to Lungarotti, migrants increasingly decide to return to their home countries for various reasons, but mainly in cases when their asylum applications are denied.

“(This is because) they did not qualify to be classified as refugees, they are not fleeing any war, they are not fleeing persecution,” she explained.

The returning migrants also get reintegration assistance in their home countries, Lungarotti said.

“IOM also supports them when they return to their country of origin, like Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh” she said, adding that this support may take the form of providing them with education, or helping them start a business.