SARAJEVO

Our Mission

A reception center for asylum seekers in Bosnia

We plan to establish a new IAFR ministry location in Sarajevo in 2022, where we will lean into the privilege of demonstrating God’s unconditional love for forcibly displaced people in Bosnia and Herzegovina by meeting needs and developing relationships which lead to restored hope.

We are already building relationships with local Bosnian churches and non-profits alike to cultivate a hope which transforms the person and their journey.

Ministry Context

Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has long been a common waypoint on the refugee highway leading to Europe.

Bosnia is still recovering from the ethnic war of the 1990’s, which created more than one million Bosnian refugees. Because of its ability to personally identify with refugee experiences, Bosnia remains one of the few countries that welcome forcibly displaced people traveling this stretch of the refugee highway.

Since 2015, more than 30,000 displaced people have traveled through Bosnia every year. While their origins vary widely from many crisis areas around the world, most intend to linger just long enough in Bosnia to prepare for their further trip into Europe. In actuality, a plan of spending 30 days in Bosnia is often replaced by a reality of spending more than a year in country.

Despite its affinity with the plight of the forcibly displaced, Bosnia struggles with unemployment and lack of resources. As a result, a majority of short- and long-term needs of refugees and asylum seekers are provided through humanitarian aid organizations.