Germany calls on Bosnia to do more for migrants left without shelter

Germany's Foreign Ministry has called on Bosnia to take clear steps to improve the situation of migrants in the country.

Officials also addressed the issue during a visit to Bosnia, where Bosnian leaders committed to making progress, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Adebahr said in Berlin on Wednesday, adding that the government would monitor the situation.

Some 700,000 euros (861,000 dollars) in aid could be made available, Adebahr said.

The European Union has already provided 3.5 million euros for immediate supplies for migrants in Bosnia.

The EU has provided a total of 88 million euros in aid to Bosnia to support migrants since 2018, according to the German government.

At issue is the situation of up to 2,500 migrants who are being kept in squalid conditions, with complicated political and bureaucratic processes preventing their situation from being resolved.

Currently, they have to spend the night in below-zero temperatures or in inadequate camps without water, electricity, toilets, showers or heating.

The Lipa camp close to the border with Croatia was evacuated more than a week ago by the the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as the Bosnian authorities had not adapted it for use in winter. (dpa)