On June 18, 2021, at 1 PM, two men, one from Pakistan and the other from Afghanistan, were reportedly apprehended in a town, the name unknown, between the Serbian-Croatian border and Zagreb. The respondents said two officers dressed in light blue uniforms consistent with the Croatian police in a police van apprehended them and subsequently locked the group in the back of the van. They were then reportedly driven to a police station.
When they arrived at the station the men recalled how they were locked in the van for approximately 5 to 6 hours until eventually being released and taken to a room inside the station. According to the respondents, they were given some food and water and were allowed to use the toilet. Inside the police station were three more officers wearing the same light blue-grey uniforms, consistent with that of the Croatian police. The respondents were reportedly forced to fill out and sign forms about their personal details, which were available in Pashto and Urdu, their native languages. However, they said no translator was present and they conversed with the officers in English. In addition, the officers reportedly took pictures of the men.
The respondent explained that they tried to ask for asylum in Croatia, but the police officers reportedly said that they could not accept this request, as there was no refugee camp near that town.
According to the respondents, after signing the documents the same two police officers who had first apprehended them put them back into the van and drove them to the border with Serbia. They recounted how they were let out near a small white building on a dirt road that crosses the Serbian-Croatian border a few meters south of the Bosut river. The police officers reportedly instructed the men to follow the road and cross the border back to Serbia.
The respondent said that he was quite surprised that the Croatian police officers neither used physical violence against him and his companion nor stole anything from them.
“First time I see the Croatian police behavior is really good”.