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The police men did not give them the time to speak

Date & Time 2022-05-23
Location Close to Rabe border crossing, Serbia.
Reported by No Name Kitchen
Coordinates 46.11714756, 20.26644996
Pushback from Romania
Pushback to Serbia
Taken to a police station no
Minors involved no
WLTI* involved no
Men involved yes
Age 25 - 33
Group size 5
Countries of origin Syria
Treatment at police station or other place of detention
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved 4
Violence used beating (with batons/hands/other)
Police involved 2 Romanian officers, 2 police cars.

The respondent is 30 years old and from Syria. He was pushed back along with 4 other people who are also from Syria. They were pushed back from Romania to Serbia at 10 p.m on the 23 of May 2022.

According to the respondent, about four kilometers after entering Romania the group saw what they believed to be a police car approaching them. So they tried to hide in the bushes. However, the officers in the car had spotted them. Reportedly, the officers stopped nearby and the officers discovered them with their lamps. The respondent reported that it was two Romanian police officers who apprehended them. He could identify the Romanian flag on their uniforms.

The group was reportedly beaten by the officers and afterward forced to walk to the car and then to the main road. Once there, another car with two officers came. Those officers also beat the transit group. The respondent said that they received blows on their hands.

“They beat their hands to not come another time”

The respondent described the two other officers as Romanian officers as well. They reportedly told them to walk back over the border. While the group was walking toward the border, one of the two cars was following them in order to make sure that they leave Romania.

The police men didn’t gave them the time to speak, they didn’t give the time to ask for something maybe for water, and the head was on the street all the time.”