Youth Ambassadors from Western Balkans discuss portrayal of refugees and migrants in film

This makes it a crucial platform for addressing refugee and migrant concerns. This was one of the conclusions from a workshop session that UNHCR BiH in partnership with IOM BiH held with 30 European Youth Ambassadors from Western Balkans region and youth from BiH as part of the Human Rights Day programme of the 29th Sarajevo Film Festival.

During interactive discussion young human rights activists shared their visions of how they see the cinema should deal with the human rights issues and had a more in-depth insight into why it is important to differentiate refugees as a vulnerable category when portraying mixed migration movement.

“Mixed migration is a movement, a process in which a number of people share the same means of transportation and routes, generally in an irregular manner, but for different reasons. They have varying needs and profiles and may include asylum-seekers, refugees, trafficked persons, unaccompanied/separated children, and migrants in an irregular situation. Respect for the Human Rights, dignity and well-being of all persons who are a part of mixed migratory flows, remains a paramount for IOM,” said Elma Selman, IOM BiH Protection Coordinator.

“While the term migrant in a broader definition refers to any person who moves away from their usual place of residence, UNHCR recommends that people who are forced to flee their residences and are likely to be asylum-seekers or refugees are referred to as such, and that the word ‘migrant' should not be used as a catchall term to refer to refugees or to people who are likely to need international protection,” said Hugues Bissot, UNHCR Senior Protection Officer in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Not using the correct terminology could cause a potential risk undermining their access to the specific legal protections that states are obliged to provide to refugees.”

Going through various excerpts from documentaries, feature, and animated films, and thorough interactive discussion, youth from the Western Balkans agreed that the role of cinema in shaping public opinions and educating people is very strong, and that in films, especially documentaries, it is crucial to present refugees as persons who flee their countries due to persecution or fear of persecution on the basis of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or belonging to a particular social group or due to a situation of indiscriminate violence.