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When the Croatian Red Cross enquired about the people calling for help, the border police denied that they had caught them and denied their presence at the station

Date & Time 2017-08-30
Location Near Dobova, Slovenian-Croatian border
Reported by No Name Kitchen
Coordinates 45.14932022, 19.16923379
Pushback from Croatia
Pushback to Serbia
Taken to a police station yes
Minors involved yes
WLTI* involved no
Men involved no
Age 16 - 16
Group size 21
Countries of origin Algeria
Treatment at police station or other place of detention
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved unknown
Violence used beating (with batons/hands/other), theft of personal belongings
Police involved Croatian border police

On August 30th, 2017, a 16 year old boy from Algeria was apprehended by the Croatian police, on the border between Slovenia and Croatia. He expressed his intention to apply for asylum and told them he was a minor and needed help.

The police brought him to the police station close to the border, where the cells were already occupied by 20 other people-on-the-move. The police took their money, bags and phones.

One person managed to keep his phone, and called the Croatian Red Cross, explaining the situation, sending the GPS data, and asking for help. This organization apparently called the border police, who denied that they had caught them and denied their presence at the station. The police then asked for the phone that contacted this organization, and threatened to deport them if the phone was not handed over. They group denied having the phone.

The organization called them back on this phone and explained that the police would bring them to Zagreb in in order to start the asylum processes. However, the police put them in 2 big cars and took them to the border with Serbia. They pushed them across the border and warned them that if they come back they, would be pushed-back again. The group was beaten by the Croatian police just before being sent across the border.