International Organisation for Migrations (IOM) is very worried about the migrant situation near the Maljevac border crossing between Bosnia and Croatia, at Bosnia and Herzegovina’s north-western town of Velika Kladusa.
“The IOM is actively cooperating with various government institutions on finding adequate accommodation for these migrants and we’ve already notified them of our solutions for their accommodation,” the IOM said. “However, the final decision on where the migrants will be accommodated should be made by the competent state institutions. They will also decide when and how they will move these migrants away from the border crossing.”
The Bosnia-Croatia border crossing of Maljevac was closed last week after the migrants staying in a tent camp near the town of Velika Kladusa reached the border and requested that the police of the two countries allow them to enter Croatia and go further to the western European countries.
The situation escalated after a brief clash between the migrants and police, which led to the border crossing point shut down.
According to Bosnia’s Border Police, the border could open for traffic since the migrants have been moved some 100 metres away from the crossing point but Croatian police keep the Maljevac border crossing closed.
The IOM said their mobile teams will continue to convince the migrants to move away from the border because such a thing is against the law in Bosnia.
Considering the migrant's location (near the border crossing), they said they are unable to provide them with humanitarian aid except for those who need medical attention.
According to the state Border Police, there are still some 200 migrants refusing the leave the area around the Maljevac border crossing.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has become an important transit point for all the migrants trying to enter the EU after Hungary imposed fierce measures preventing them from using the country as a way country. After it became known among migrants as a country that is best to be avoided, the migrants started entering Bosnia mostly from the direction of Serbia, exploiting the weak border control of both countries.
