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They explained their difficult situation at home and in their host countries, but the police answered: "No asylum, go back to Serbia"

Date & Time 2017-11-10
Location Tovarnik, Croatia
Reported by No Name Kitchen
Coordinates 45.15714, 19.147172
Pushback from Croatia
Pushback to Serbia
Taken to a police station unknown
Minors involved yes
WLTI* involved no
Men involved no
Age 14 - 20
Group size 5
Countries of origin Afghanistan
Treatment at police station or other place of detention
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved 24
Violence used beating (with batons/hands/other), theft of personal belongings
Police involved 4 policemen, male, in Croation border police uniforms

On October 11th, 2017, at about 5 am, 5 people from Afghanistan were pushed-back at the Serbian-Croatian border between Tovarnik and Šid, near the train rails on the Croatian side.

The people-on-the-move crossed the border by train in a container and were caught by 20 police officers, near Tovarnik. The police called for four additional border police officers, who transported the people in a police van, to the pushback location, where the police violently assaulted them.

The police beat them with fists and palms, and were hitting them with sticks, on all parts of their bodies. The police searched people’s bodies and their baggage. Their money and phones were confiscated.

The 5 men expressed their intention to seek asylum and explained their difficult situation at home and in their host countries, but the police answered: “no asylum, go back to Serbia”. Afterwards the police pushed the men across the border and they walked back to Šid.