A new reception centre in Lipa, catering to the needs of up to 1,500 stranded migrants, opened on 19 November in Una-Sana Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The establishment of the new reception centre Lipa, financially supported by the European Union, will replace the former emergency tent shelter which was destroyed by fire in December 2020, when about 1,400 migrants were left without shelter and protection.

At the opening of the reception centre Lipa, the Head of EU Delegation and EU Special Representative Ambassador Johann Sattler said:  “Eleven months ago, we were standing here in the same location but in very different circumstances. Today, we are here in the middle of this state of the art migration reception centre. This Centre is proof that cooperation at all levels can work and can produce results. This is a good reminder for all of us that crises can be solved, and the only way to resolve crises is through dialogue and a willingness to compromise.” 

The new Lipa reception facility was constructed from the ground up with the financial support of the European Union as the main contributor with €1.7 million, within the project “EU Support to Migration and Border Management in Bosnia and Herzegovina  implemented by the IOM in partnership with UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC).

Additional support was provided by the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (Techniches Hilfswerk), the Austrian Federal Ministry of Interior, the Austrian Development Agency, the Swiss Government, the Holy See, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Council of Europe Development Bank.