Bosnia Overwhelmed as Migrant Arrivals Jump 70 Percent in 2026

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina — The Balkan nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is being overwhelmed by a surge in illegal migration, with migrant arrivals jumping 67.5 percent in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to the country’s Ministry of Security. The spike is fueling renewed pressure along the Western Balkan route and triggering a wave of smuggling arrests as migrants push toward the European Union through Croatia.

Bosnian Border Police reported multiple operations in recent days targeting smugglers moving migrants toward the EU frontier. In one case, officers arrested two Bosnian nationals transporting 15 illegal migrants — mostly from Bangladesh and Pakistan — near the Gradiška border crossing, a major exit point into Croatia, according to the Sarajevo Times.

A separate operation uncovered another 15 migrants being smuggled toward the same border area, again involving Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals. Prosecutors ordered