Husein Karajic hosted in his home more than 100 migrants who got stuck in Velika Kladusa after being returned from the border by Croatian police.

The number of migrants passing through Bosnia on their way to Western European countries is increasing almost daily. Authorities in Bosnia, a country that is already heavily criticized by international actors over its inefficient public administration, are not prepared to face this challenge.

So, it is up to people like Husein Karajic to help. He took this task upon himself, extending a helping hand to those who need it the most.

He lives in Velika Kladusa, a town at Bosnia’s northeastern border with Croatia, the country where the migrants first enter the European Union on their way further west and where they often end up in the hands of police and are being returned to Bosnia several times.

N1 visited Velika Kladusa and found entire families of migrants who found temporary refuge in the houses of locals, including a group of Syrian minors who escaped the war in their country two years ago. Since then, the youngsters are fighting their battle for a better life in Western Europe. With blisters on their feet and without proper shelter, they will soon make another attempt to cross Croatia’s border.

The N1 team found 14 migrants occupying an abandoned industrial hall. It offers much better housing than the public benches. They get their food from the good people living in the area. One of them is a Pakistani who was caught red handed several times as he tried to enter the EU.

“All of the people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are good. They help us a lot, police here is good towards us, but we have a lot of problems with Croatian police,” he said. “They sent me back three times. I left Pakistan because there I have nothing.”

Locals from Velika Kladusa said that authorities are not doing anything about the migrants. Humanitarian organizations have also not been very active.

But Husein’s house has been a refuge to more than 100 of these people throughout the past two and a half months. Many of them have left but most have not forgotten Husein and his good deed and hospitality. They call up from time to time, just to let him know whether they made it.

But Husein cannot take in any more migrants. His resources have run dry.

“The institutions are doing nothing, but common people, my friends, have helped,” he said, adding that those who have little have helped, while those who have a lot have not. “They didn’t open up their hearts, although this (becoming a migrant) could happen to everyone,” he said.

Dozens of migrants can be found roaming the streets of Velika Kladusa. They sit in the local park and plan their next move.

“I would like to send a message. Angela Merkel, if you can hear me, please, open up the borders, we cannot go on like this anymore,” a migrant from Algeria said. “My family is in Germany. I am sending a message to Croatia, we don’t want to stay in your country, we just want to pass through and go on further,” he added.