Skip to content
Support our work

The two officers did not give him the opportunity to seek asylum from the beginning

Date & Time 2022-08-06
Location Border near Vrnograč
Reported by No Name Kitchen
Coordinates 45.23921758, 15.94641424
Pushback from Croatia
Pushback to Bosnia
Taken to a police station no
Minors involved no
WLTI* involved no
Men involved yes
Age 20 - 34
Group size 10
Countries of origin Pakistan
Treatment at police station or other place of detention
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved 6
Violence used no violence used
Police involved 6 Croatian officers, 1 police van

A 34-year-old Pakistani man was the victim of a pushback from Zagreb to Vrnograc (Bosnia and Herzegovina) on 8/06/2022.

The man had left the forest near Velika Kladuša on 4th June together with nine other people, of which four, like the respondent, were of Pakistani origin and five were from countries in Africa (the interviewee was unable to indicate which were exactly their country/countries of origin, simply claiming that the two groups, having good relations, had decided on that occasion to attempt the crossing together).

The men, almost all between the ages of 20 and 30 with the exception of the interviewee, determined to cross the Bosnian-Croatian border after countless failed attempts, set out shortly after lunch and proceeded through the forest for about 4 days. Despite the tiredness, the journey went on without too many hitches, until they reached the outskirts of Zagreb around 5 pm on Wednesday 8th June.

While walking along a road not too far from the motorway near Gradići, at around 7 pm, they came across some Croatian officers, who were driving along in a car. The two officers, a man and a woman in a light blue shirt and dark pants, reportedly stopped the car and apprehended the group of 10 men, asked for their documents and ordered them to hand over all the phones and powerbanks.

Soon after they called someone on the phone and awaited reinforcements. The respondent explained that the two officers did not give him the opportunity to seek asylum from the beginning, since, even while waiting, they did not seem willing to talk to them.

According to the respondent, a van marked ‘Police’ arrived shortly after, driven by another man in blue uniform. The ten transit group members were loaded in and taken to a police station near Zagreb (where exactly it is not known as their phones were taken). However, at the station the respondent stated that they were not allowed to get out of the van. After about five minutes the vehicle left again, this time towards Bosnia.

After an estimated 3 hours of travel, once having crossed the border, the van reportedly stopped near Vrnograč (Bosnia and Herzegovina).

According to the respondent, the doors of the van were thrown open and six officers lined up in front of the exit. They reportedly threatened the group members to get out one by one, and pointed them in the direction to get further away from the border into Bosnia.