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Because we are immigrants, they don't care about us. They don't think we are human.

Date & Time 2022-04-27
Location close to Bukovlje, Velika Kladusa
Reported by No Name Kitchen
Coordinates 45.22508132, 15.97054388
Pushback from Croatia
Pushback to Bosnia
Taken to a police station no
Minors involved no
WLTI* involved no
Men involved yes
Age 22 - 35
Group size 5
Countries of origin Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey
Treatment at police station or other place of detention
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved 6
Violence used beating (with batons/hands/other), kicking, theft of personal belongings, reckless driving
Police involved 6 men with light blue uniforms, 2 cars

The respondent and 4 other men reportedly got violently pushed back from Croatia to Bosnia and Herzegovina on April, 27th, 2022.

The group of men explained that they started their most recent attempt to cross the border from Velika Kladusa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the evening on April, 23rd, 2022. The men allegedly walked through the forest and over mountains towards Zagreb for about three days. The respondent showed us his legs, which were full of cuts, probably from the bushes and thorns, which is common among people on the move.

“All jungle, no street. Nothing. In mountains, only mountains.”

The respondent explained that after about 2 days, he got bitten by a snake. He added that he removed the snake ; however, his entire leg felt to him like it was on fire for about one hour. Afterwards his leg was numb. He ported that nevertheless, he kept on walking. The men reportedly walked for another day, then his leg was fine again.

The interviewee recounted that about 35km from the bosnian border, close to Kupa river and a village called Slatina Pokupska, the group got caught by 6 men, wearing light blue uniforms.

The respondent stated that when the men in uniform caught the group, they started beating them for about 10 to 15 minutes with their legs and batons. During the interview, one of the men showed us his bruises on his ribs, another one was limping, the respondent himself showed us pictures of his bloody face.

“They beat him too much. They don’t have respect.”

The men in uniform reportedly found a Koran when searching one of the men and teared it apart. The respondent pointed at him several times during the interview and was stressing that the men in uniform beat him much more than others; it is the same person who was limping afterwards. The interviewee reported that he begged the uniformed men to stop and tried reasoning with them, while they were beaten.

“Hey, we are sitting here, not running. Don’t beat me, don’t touch me. We’re sitting here, no running.”

“Croatian police like dog. They never respect. They catch. Why they beating? They deport, we can try again. Why they beating? I don’t understand.”

The respondent added that after the 10-15 minutes of beating, the uniformed men took all their phones, powerbanks and money. The men were then reporteldy put in a big van without any windows, described as a “deportation car” by the respondent. They were driven back to the border for what seemed to the repondent like 30 minutes to 1 hour. They described the drive as bumpy, with a lot of curves and the men in uniform apparently stopped and started again a lot on the way.

The respondent recounted that when they were released from the van, the men in uniform started beating them again for about 10 minutes. According to the respondent this must have happened around 10pm. They were located at the top of a mountain and the uniformed men kicked the men so that some of them were rolling downhill. The respondent declared that he was able to run downhill.

“They play like with mice.”

From the border the men allegedly had to walk for another 6 to 7 hours to reach Velika Kladusa. When asked if he had anything to add, he explained that he does not feel like he has the right to do so, because he entered Croatia illegally.

“Because we are immigrants, they don’t care about us. They don’t think we are human.”

“Always we are walking. Go, come back. Go, come back.”