Police in the northwestern-most town of Velika Kladusa prevented some 50 migrants from entering the ‘Miral’ migrant reception centre without permission on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Una-Sana Canton (USK) Interior Ministry told the Srna news agency.
Spokesperson Ale Siljdedic said that police apprehended two Pakistanis who sat on the motorway and blocked traffic in a sign of protest but released them after questioning.
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Migrants are spread all over the canton, the spokesperson said.
“We have people in camps which have the capacity to accommodate them, a number of them are located at the transit points through the canton toward Croatia and there are those whom Croatia’s police send back (into Bosnia),” he said.
Thousands have entered Bosnia on their way toward EU countries since the beginning of 2018. The country became a significant transit point after numerous surrounding countries closed their borders.
The next stop after Bosnia is mostly the country’s western neighbour, Croatia. Croatian border police, however, often turn them back.
The northwestern towns of Bihac, Cazin and Velika Kladusa are located in the Una-Sana Canton (USK) near Croatia’s border and are strongly affected by the situation.
“Migrants are all around us – in parks, on the streets, in private accommodation and that is the image here daily, not only in Velika Kladusa, but also in Bihac and other places in this area,” he stressed.
Siljdedic said that at least 100 new migrants enter the USK daily and try to find ways to get shelter since accommodation capacities are full.
Police do not determine where those camps will be and where the migrants will stay, but only ensure the safety of property and citizens, he said.
He also noted that no major incidents took place in the past two months, but that smaller incidents among the migrants occur daily and that they are either victims or perpetrators of some crimes, such as disturbing public peace and order.
