Blazuj barracks accept hundreds of new migrants

Fena

A group of 170 migrants were relocated on Friday from the overcrowded Usivak centre to the nearby Blazuj barracks, in the vicinity of Sarajevo, according to Fena news agency.

Another group of 200 migrants will be accommodated in the same centre next week, said Drazen Rozic of the International Organisation for Migrations (IOM).

“Blazuj has not been fully prepared but all works will be finished by January 25. We're working to arrange the centre part by part and to enable the accommodation for as many people as possible during the cold weather period,” he said.

According to Rozic, they are working on setting up a kitchen and living room, and electricians will soon solve the power issue in the centre.

Maximum capacity of the shelter is up to 1,200 migrants.

N1's team visited the Usivak centre which, unofficially, hosts more than 1,000 migrants, the number that exceeds the capacity of the facilities.

Migrants mostly complain about the cold.

“It's good here, but very cold. It is winter and temperatures are very low, nights are the worst,” said Ali from Pakistan.

Khaled, a migrant from Afghanistan, came to Usivak from the infamous open-air camp Vucjak, in the country's northwest.

“We're cold. We were in Vucjak and then relocated here. Now they say we will be sent to a new camp. We need something warm…. Jackets, socks,” he said.

The Blazuj centre will offer better conditions, authorities say. Migrants will get playing fields and rooms for get-together activities.