Report Condemns Secretive, Prison-like Conditions at Bosnia’s Migrant Detention Centre
A new report by the Bosnian NGO Collective Aid criticizes the Lukavica Immigration Centre, Bosnia’s only facility for detaining migrants and refugees, for operating without transparency and violating international standards. The report reveals that 115 minors were detained between 2018 and 2024, contravening safeguards against arbitrary deprivation of liberty for children. Located in East Sarajevo and operated by the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs (SFA), the centre lacks independent oversight, with the national ombudsperson reportedly denied entry. Former detainees and lawyers describe conditions as worse than prison, citing abuse, neglect, mould-infested cells, rationed water, and indiscriminate solitary confinement. Legal representatives note increasing difficulties in accessing clients, often missing strict appeal deadlines due to bureaucratic hurdles. The SFA frequently labels detainees as security threats without meeting basic legal requirements. Approximately 4,631 people were detained during the reported period. Collective Aid calls for an end to child detention, the implementation of alternatives, and unhindered monitoring access for NGOs and the Ombudsman to ensure accountability and human rights compliance within the facility.
Wire timeline
Report Condemns Secretive, Prison-like Conditions at Bosnia’s Migrant Detention Centre
A new report by the Bosnian NGO Collective Aid criticizes the Lukavica Immigration Centre, Bosnia’s only facility for detaining migrants and refugees, for operating without transparency and violating international standards. The report reveals that 115 minors were detained between 2018 and 2024, contravening safeguards against arbitrary deprivation of liberty for children. Located in East Sarajevo and operated by the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs (SFA), the centre lacks independent oversight, with the national ombudsperson reportedly denied entry. Former detainees and lawyers describe conditions as worse than prison, citing abuse, neglect, mould-infested cells, rationed water, and indiscriminate solitary confinement. Legal representatives note increasing difficulties in accessing clients, often missing strict appeal deadlines due to bureaucratic hurdles. The SFA frequently labels detainees as security threats without meeting basic legal requirements. Approximately 4,631 people were detained during the reported period. Collective Aid calls for an end to child detention, the implementation of alternatives, and unhindered monitoring access for NGOs and the Ombudsman to ensure accountability and human rights compliance within the facility.
Balkan Insight