Locals in Velika Kladusa gathered on Thursday evening to protest against the increasing number of migrants arriving in the northwestern Una Sana Canton, the area most affected by the migrant crisis in the country.
The protesters said they do not want to live in fear anymore and complained that authorities have not found a way to deal with the massive influx of migrants in the area for the past three years.
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“We gathered on our own initiative because we are fed up. We can't stand it anymore, day after day they promise us the same things and nothing happens,” said Sabahudin Basic, one of the locals.
“We will try to persuade the police and all those in charge to do their job in a peaceful way. This is a mockery and shame for the entire canton – that people can’t live peacefully in their homes as we are afraid for our children,” he said.
Bosnia has seen a massive and continuous influx of migrants since 2018 after many countries in the region closed their borders. The migrants only want to use Bosnia for transit, which is why most of them end up in the USK, which borders with Croatia – an EU country.
The migrants are stopped at the Croatian border, and those who do cross over are sent back to Bosnia.
The Una Sana Canton Ministry of the Interior said it is understaffed while local government representatives said they need coordinated action by the state.
Hikmet, from Afghanistan, explained that he was part of a group of migrants who were caught by Croatian police.
“Police arrested them all, took away everything they had and sent them back. Croatian police also took away their money,” he said.
He also complained about the local migrant camp Lipa, saying it is dirty and unsafe.
According to USK Interior Ministry data, some 300 migrants arrive in the canton weekly.
According to the latest cantonal and International Organisation for Migrations estimates, some 7,000 migrants reside in this canton.
