Those took them with a car where they sat cramped and had therefore difficulties to breathe

Date & Time 2018-01-10

Location a forest at the Slovenian-Croatian border near Rupa, Croatia

Reported by Aid Brigade Sarajevo

Coordinates 45.48926093, 14.27810669

Pushback from Slovenia

Pushback to Bosnia

Taken to a police station no

Minors involved yes

WLTI* involved yes

Men involved yes

Age unknown

Group size 20

Countries of origin Afghanistan

Treatment at police station or other place of detention

Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved unknown

Violence used destruction of personal belongings, sitting cramped resulting in difficulties to breath

Police involved Several Slovenian officers, several Croatian officers

Some Slovenian officers detected the two families in a forest on the Slovenian side of the border with Croatia, close to Rupa (HRV). They arrested them, denying them their right to claim asylum. The officers made them undress and body-searched the men in front of all other members of the families, including the women and children.

Then, they were driven to the Croatian border and handed over to the Croatian authorities. Those took them with a car where they sat cramped and had therefore difficulties to breathe.

The two families repeatedly asked the officers for asylum but were denied due to the reason that they had illegally entered the country. Additionally, their requests for water and food were denied. Then the officers drove them to the Bosnian border and dropped them off near Bihac (BIH).

When they arrived at the border, the officers broke all their phones and ordered them to walk back to Bosnia, threatening them to never return to Croatia again.