International discourse on immigration and Human Trafficking in Western Europe has focused on Balkan states, especially Bosnia and Herzegovina as one of the main culprits. Illegal activity and organized crime in Bosnia, the implication of all Bosnians as corrupt, as well as the rampant corruption at all levels of Government are seen as obstacles to stopping the destabilizing effect of undocumented immigration in Europe.
At the heart of these arguments is an implication that Bosnians are unable to “get it together” and establish a viable economy, re-establish a legal system and re-claim their borders. It is viewed mostly as an internal issue with external implications. That is, it is framed as a Bosnian problem that has spilled over into the rest of the Europe, and as such it obscures and diminishes the international community’s accountability for the nonfunctional Bosnian state.
Certainly, Bosnians have to be held accountable for their own actions. The fact is that the Bosnian Government is corrupt and closely tied with Organized Crime. This is a serious obstacle to any real nation building and the establishment of a strong, legal state in Central Europe.
In fact, out of desperation otherwise honest Bosnians become implicated in criminal acts such as transporting undocumented immigrants to bordering states from which those immigrants enter Western Europe. This participation of the general population in illegal activities makes enforcement of legal policies extremely difficult.
The fact that a hungry and demoralized population, terrorized by the social and economic rule of organized crime, cannot re-claim the country and make it function alone is the real crime.
By the same token, International Corporations, who are participating in a wholesale rape of the country under the guise of privatization, are also committing a crime for which they are not being held accountable. Their role as an active agent of corruption is not rendered visible.
The acquisition of various industries and services by foreign companies is made easier in this artificially corrupt environment. In many instances, these companies evade their employer obligations of providing a minimum earning wage and decent working conditions with their ability to influence a government in which every vote is for sale.
More often than not, these newly formed companies release all of the existing employees and then hire new work force at a lower pay. It is not unusual to hear workers waiting several months for pay. Unable to find another job, they stay in hope that the situation will change.
International corporations and the governments that protect them are saying that corruption and immigration are an internal Bosnian issue. There is no discussion on how the international community and international companies are taking advantage of that corruption for cheap products and cheap labor. They take full advantage of the corruption to manipulate it for their own domestic interests, thus maintaining the status quo.
But why should anyone care about tiny Bosnia and its failure as a state? This situation is mirrored around the globe. It is at the core of the Palestinian and Israeli issue, and the issue of Mexican and other immigrants in this country. More than that, we all benefit from this exploitation. We desire cheap products while looking the other way at the abuse and exploitation of fellow human beings. As long as countries and populations are for sale to the highest bidder the issue of undocumented immigration will never be resolved.