Bosnia-Herzegovina de/re-routings
By Yolanda Weima
From April to December I undertook both a period of preliminary research on the migration context in Bosnia (excluding Una Sana Canton), and two periods of more focused research with people-on-the-move in Sarajevo. Broadly, my research in Sarajevo is focused what is happening within “the Balkan Route” in terms of encampment and (im)mobilities in Bosnia (outside of Una Sana Canton), from the perspective of actors in Sarajevo, and how this relates to articulations of the route arriving from Serbia and Montenegro.
During a (part-time) preliminary research period from April-July, I sought to gain a greater understanding of the context and to reflect on appropriate approaches to research in the context. With these aims, from April-mid July 2024, I undertook informal conversations with journalists, volunteers, activists, researchers, and employees of organizations working in camps and on migration issues. These conversations included reflection on questions of access, recruitment, research sites, and ethical issues that may arise in research.
In June, I was visited by colleague Viki Mladenova. During her visit we undertook formal visits to the two “Temporary Reception Centres” (TRCs) in Sarajevo Canton: TRC Blažuj (in Ilidža) and TRC Ušivak (in Hadžici). We visited a newly opened migrant day-centre in Hadzici, predominantly serving the residents of Ušivak camp. Outside of Sarajevo, we travelled to the Deljaš Asylum Centre, and met with the director of the centre. In July, I organized a visit to Tuzla, where I met with Dragan and Claudio (returning from a research visit to Serbia). (Our visit to Tuzla is described in more detail in their trip report.) Throughout this period, I continued to regularly volunteer with a migrant day centre in Sarajevo, contributing to contextual knowledge about the route.
From September to November, my research focus shifted to primary research with people-on-the-move in Sarajevo Canton. In September and October I worked with a gifted Arabic language cultural mediator, Ahlem Zangui. We primarily conducted fourteen interviews with men and women North African migrants, the majority of whom were living in TRCs Blažuj and Ušivak. In November, TheGame cultural mediator Shahid Aziz travelled to Sarajevo, and we conducted interviews with a further ten people-on-the-move, from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Interestingly, almost all of the interviews in this period were conducted in the café of large shopping centre located a 15 minute walk from TRC Blažuj. While a big-box shopping centre just off a busy highway may not be a stereotypical spot for migration research, it is a key spot for many migrants staying in the camp to buy needed food and supplies for the stay in Sarajevo, and for going to the “game.”
My research in Sarajevo is ongoing, and I am now in the process of conducting formal interviews with people working and volunteering in relevant migration-related organizations.
Railroad outside of TRC Blazuj
Big-box shopping centre near the Temporary Reception Centre