1,000 stuck in freezing, burned-out camp
Migrants en route to Croatia are stranded in Bosnia without shelter in heavy snow.
BIHAC, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Hundreds of migrants were stranded Saturday in a squalid, burnedout tent camp in BosniaHerzegovina as heavy snow fell in the country and the winter temperature suddenly dropped.
Migrants at the Lipa camp in northwestern Bosnia wrapped themselves in blankets and sleeping bags to protect against the biting winds in the region, which borders European Union member Croatia.
A fire last week destroyed much of the camp near the town of Bihac that already was harshly criticized by international officials and aid groups as being inadequate for housing refugees and migrants.
Bosnian authorities have failed to find new accommodations for the migrants, leaving around 1,000 people stuck in the cold with no facilities or heat, and only meager food parcels provided by aid groups.
“Snow has fallen, subzero temperatures, no heating, nothing,” tweeted the International Organization for Migration’s chief of mission in Bosnia, Peter Van der Auweraert. “This is not how anyone should live. We need political bravery and action now.”
Bosnia has become a bottleneck for thousands of migrants hoping to reach Western Europe. Most are stuck in Bosnia’s northwest Krajina region as other areas in the ethnically divided nation have refused to accept them. The EU has warned Bosnia that thousands of migrants face a freezing winter without shelter, and has urged the country’s politicians to set aside their differences and take action.
On Saturday, migrants crowded at the camp to receive water and food from Bosnia’s Red Cross as police sought to maintain order. Some migrants wore face shields to protect them from the coronavirus.
“Even animals are living better than us!” said a man from Pakistan who identified himself only as Kasim. “If they do not help us, we will die, so please help us.”
Plans to relocate the migrants temporarily to a facility in Bihac have prompted protests by residents.
With no alternative, migrants put cardboard on the ground and improvised barriers for privacy in the only standing tent at the camp. Some people held their wet feet above small fires outside to warm up, while others wrapped up tight in blankets.
Migrants often use illegal mountainous routes along the border to reach Croatia. Many have complained of violence and resistance by Croatian police.