Six illegal migrants who were attempting to cross the border into Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina were rescued from deep snow by mountain rescue teams from Bihać, local media reported on Tuesday.

The Bihac-based mountain rescue service GSS explained that rescue teams intervened on Monday in the area around the Pljesevica mountain range, which extends along the border with Croatia, after four men and two women were noticed wandering around in deep snowdrifts, attempting to cross the border.

Border police set out in search of the migrants, however, deep snow prevented them so GSS was called in.

All six were hypothermic and were handed over to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Nezavisne Novine web portal said.

According to IOM, currently, there are about 3,000 illegal migrants in the northwestern Una-Sana Canton, staying out in the open or in abandoned buildings and tents as there is no room for them in migrant reception centres.

Most of them are waiting for warmer weather in the spring to try and enter Croatia.