BIHAC, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Despite the approach of harsh weather, hundreds of refugees and migrants are still stuck in northwest Bosnia in a makeshift camp described by international organizations as dangerous and inhumane.
Desperate men, including many who have made several unsuccessful attempts to cross into neighboring European Union member Croatia, sleep in the ill-equipped Vucjak tent camp. It is located on a former landfill, not far from a minefield left over from Bosnia’s 1992-95 war.
The men spend their days collecting wood from nearby forest to use for the small fires that are their only source of warmth during Bosnia’s chilly fall nights. They get only one meal per day, distributed by local Red Cross volunteers, and are forced to shower outside, with no privacy or even a semblance of comfort.
The Vucjak camp, where they might end up spending the entire harsh Bosnian winter, was set up by local authorities to increase the pressure on the central government, which they have accused of not doing enough to distribute the migrant burden around the country.
Bosnia has been overwhelmed by the arrival of migrants heading toward Europe along the Balkan route. Most migrants flock to its northwest region, which borders Croatia.
This has led to tensions in the border area where most of the over 6,000 migrants now in the country are staying