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The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, today held high level talks with senior European Union officials to tackle illegal migration issues.
The EU ministerial troika for Justice and Home Affairs comprised Maj-Inger Klingvall, the Swedish minister for development cooperation, migration and asylum policy; Antonio Vitorino, the EU commissioner for justice and home affairs; and Antoine Duquesne, the Belgian minister of interior. The High Representative expressed concern over the increasing number of illegal migrants using Bosnia and Herzegovina as a way to Europe. According to UN estimates, 50,000 to 60,000 people use BiH each year as a route to escape tough conditions in their home countries. The vast majority of these migrants pay large sums of money to criminal gangs who smuggle them from BiH to Western Europe. The High Representative thanked the EU for their continued support in combating illegal migration through Bosnia and Herzegovina. He stressed the need for more efficient State institutions in BiH, better regional cooperation and a continued fight against corruption.
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