A migrant reception center for unaccompanied minors and children inaugurated last week in Sarajevo is the result of collaboration between the authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina and several international organizations including Jesuit Refugee Service, the Swiss branch of Caritas, the local Caritas and others.

It's part of the Brat-Balkan Route Assistenza in Transito project, which is funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented by key players of Italian civil society including IPSIA-ACLI, the Italian branch of Caritas, and the Italian Red Cross.

Italy's IPSIA-ACLI has long been providing assistance to migrants in Bosnia-Herzegovina, according to organizers.

Initiative result of multiple synergies

The ceremony was opened by Italian ambassador Marco Di Ruzza, who highlighted how synergies between the local authorities, the international community, and civil society bodies were facilitating the aligning of Bosnia-Herzegovina with EU standards in this sector and more in general in the country's path to EU membership.

"The initiative, moreover, constitutes only the latest in a long string of examples of the concrete and dynamic presence in Bosnia-Herzegovina of Italian development cooperation and that of Italian civil society, leading players in a wide range of projects operating in areas of crucial importance for the country," Di Ruzza said.

"Italy has a great deal of knowledge, including from a regulatory standpoint, concerning the delicate issue of the management and protection of unaccompanied minors," the ambassador added.

Among those taking part in the inauguration event further included International Organization for Migration (IOM) mission chief Laura Lungarotti, and IPSIA-BiH director Silvia Maraone, who underscored the social importance of the center and the "excellent teamwork" that made it possible.