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"Six days no use food, just one little water"

Date & Time 2021-04-29
Location Close to Bihac, Bosnia Herzegovina
Reported by Anonymous Partner
Coordinates 44.85114685, 15.78904205
Pushback from Croatia
Pushback to Bosnia
Taken to a police station yes
Minors involved yes
WLTI* involved no
Men involved yes
Age 12 - 50
Group size 38
Countries of origin Afghanistan, Pakistan
Treatment at police station or other place of detention detention, photos taken, personal information taken, papers signed, no translator present, denial of food/water
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved 15
Violence used destruction of personal belongings, theft of personal belongings
Police involved 8-10 police officers in blue uniform with Croatian police badge, 2 police officers driving the vehicle, 3 police officers wearing black uniform and black sky mask, several police vans

The respondent was part of a group of 38 people on the move, from the age of 12 to 50, that was walking through Croatia. Most of them had packed enough food and water for three days. Unexpectedly, their way turned out to be much longer. The respondent described about six days with no food and just a little water.

“six day no use food just one little water.”

The respondent reported than when the police apprehended the group, people were asking for food and water, which was them denied.

“When police came, people said: ‘Hello brother, problem problem’. Police said ‘wait wait!’.”

The officers, were wearing blue uniforms that showed the Croatian police badge. They split up the group into several police vehicles. One group of 20 to 28 people was told to get into one police van. The respondent was in a group of five to six people which were taken to a police station. The group spent around 48 hours in the police station, again having food and water denied. Only one time one officer secretly gave them some water, the respondent described. There was no translator present at the police station which made the respondent, the translator for the group. The police was taking pictures of the people and documented personal information. After the detention, they handed  the group over to two police officers which would then deport the group. “Don’t come back otherwise you are in trouble”, the police officers told them. The transit group was taken to the border  between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, close to the City of Bihac. Another police vehicle was waiting there with three officers in black uniform. The respondent reported that they took the personal belongings and watched them cross the border. The group walked back to the point of their departure, a distance of approximately 48 kilometres, according to the respondent.