Croatian police stop thousands at border
BIHAC, Bosnia: Harsh weather conditions and tight police border controls have stopped thousands of migrants from attempting to cross into Croatia at the European Union’s Balkan frontier, leaving them stuck in impoverished Bosnia until spring.
More than 3000 people have been cramped in three improvised migrant centres in the Bosnian towns of Bihac and Velika Kladusa, on the Croatian border, and emergency workers are rushing to provide them accommodation and food as winter bites.
‘‘Here is a big problem with winter. When it is finished, I’m going to try again,’’ said Hamza from Pakistan, echoing the words of others in the Bira centre in Bihac.
A small refugee town has been set up in a former factory, accommodating more than 2000 migrants and refugees in heated tents and containers.
On Saturday, some of the 180 unaccompanied minors from the centre were enjoying playing in fresh snow, taking selfies.
The European Union had allocated more than ¤9.2 million ($NZ15.8 million) to help Bosnia cope with the migrant influx before the winter, channelling funding through the International Organisation for Migration and the UN refugee agency UNHCR, officials said.
Still recovering from a war in the 1990s, Bosnia was bypassed in 2015 and 2016 when more than a million migrants and refugees passed through the Balkans on their way to the wealthier European countries.
But this year it has become a major transit country for migrants as other countries, such as EU members Hungary and Slovenia, sealed their borders.
More than 23,000 people, mostly from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, have entered the country since January. About 5000 are now stuck, as the cold winter and Croatian police make it impossible for them to go on.
Wali Khan, of Afghanistan, said Croatian police beat him with batons when he tried to cross the border last week.
Croatia denies its border police are rough handling wouldbe refugees. — Reuters