2015-08-21 Balkanin maiden turvapaikanhakijatilanne (yhdistetty)

[Näkkileipä]

Eikö kukaan ole kertonut noille läpsyttelijöille, että Eurooppaan voi tulla myös edullisesti, laillisesti ja turvallisesti passin kanssa. Eikä silloin edes tarvitse maksaa mitään salakuljettajille.

[Alaric]

Ihan mielenkiintoinen juttu Sloveniasta, kannattaa lukaista.

Läpsyjen ainoa keino pysyä edes hetken aikaa Sloveniassa ilman karkotusta Kroatiaan on hakea sieltä turvapaikkaa, mutta suurin osa näistä katoaa sitten parissa viikossa lähtiessään eteenpäin muihin EU-maihin. Tästä syystä maan ainoassa vokissa vaihtuvuus on melkoista.

https://twitter.com/HommaMedia/status/1198608206718595074

[tweet]1198608206718595074[/tweet]

https://www.infomigrants.net/en/post/20945/vic-the-asylum-seeker-center-in-slovenia-where-almost-no-one-is-left-2-3 (21.11.2019)

Vič, the asylum seeker center in Slovenia where (almost) no one is left

A small country of just two million inhabitants, Slovenia has only one center for asylum seekers. The center in Ljubljana can accommodate up to 200 people, but it is rarely full. Most migrants stay only a few days to rest before vanishing 'into thin air'.

Mohamed* is reluctant to learn Slovenian. In a few days, he will be gone, so what's the point of becoming familiar with a language "so little spoken"? Like many asylum seekers in Slovenia, Mohamed, an Algerian national, does not intend to stay in the country. For the time being, he sleeps at Vič, the only asylum seekers' center in the country**. "But tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, I will go to Italy," he explains. "At Vič, I rest. The people are nice. I've been there for two weeks, but I don't want to settle in this country."

Like Mohamed, the majority of migrants consider Slovenia -- and in particular Vič -- as merely a stopover on their journey. "They only stay there for a few days, it's true, usually less than two weeks," says Martin Nedeko, one of the heads of the Asylum Home, the other name for Vič. "There's a huge turnover here. There are always new faces."

Almost no one wants to stay in a country considered, at best, "unknown", at worst as "dead and boring". But almost all of the migrants that pass through still submit asylum applications, a mandatory administrative step if they are to receive accommodation. "Here, when you apply for asylum, you have the right to a roof, you can sleep in a warm place, and not in the forest. That is a change for us from Bosnia," Mohamed explains. "Applying for asylum in Slovenia costs nothing, and it's the only way to get a bed, a little peace and quiet."

It is also the only way to avoid being deported to Croatia. "Migrants who do not seek international protection have almost no chance of remaining in the country. They are usually arrested at the border and forcibly deported," explains a member of the Filantropijia migrant aid association, whose offices are less than 15 minutes' walk from the reception center. Alternatively, they may be sent to a detention center in Postojna, a few kilometers from the Slovenian capital, before being expelled.

90% of residents "vanished into thin air"

Since the beginning of the year, of a total of 14,000 illegal crossings identified by the Slovenian authorities, more than 9,000 migrants have been sent back to the country they last traversed, usually Croatia, while 4,000 others have lodged asylum applications.

These 4,000 asylum seekers should be at Vič. But the vast majority of them have already left, "vanished into thin air".

"Since January, nearly 90% of the people we have hosted at Vič have disappeared," says Tina Kotar, one of the managers of the facility, which can accommodate up to 200 people. "Generally, they go to Germany, to Austria, but also to France." As a result, Vič rarely runs at full capacity. "Some months we have few people, other months, a little more; right now there are 185 people in the center."

This ongoing rotation of migrants also explains the absence of informal settlements in the country. Unlike the other Balkan states, there are no tent and sheet metal camps in Slovenia. "A camp for to do what?" wonders Mohamed, who had been through the hell of Velika Kledusha, a village in Bosnia where migrants live in terrible conditions. "We sleep at Vič, and then we leave. We're not stuck here," he explains. "At worst, when the Slovenian authorities catch us, they expel us. They do not release us into the wild. They wouldn't let us set up a camp in the country."

(...)

[Roope]

Taudit leviävät, telttoja lämmitetään nuotioilla ja kohta ihmiset jäätyvät hengiltä – Bosnian leirin olosuhteet ovat karmivat, kertoo suomalainen avustustyöntekijä

Bosnia-Hertsegovinan viranomaiset kiistelevät siitä, mitä maahan vaeltaneille siirtolaisille ja turvapaikanhakijoille pitäisi tehdä.

Olosuhteet Vučjakin leirillä Bosnia-Hertsegovinassa ovat eurooppalaisittain poikkeuksellisen kurjat.

EU-alueelle pyrkivät siirtolaiset ja turvapaikanhakijat sinnittelevät leirillä vielä, mutta pakkasten saapuessa ensi viikolla ihmiset alkavat olla hengenvaarassa, sanoo alueella Kansainvälisen Punaisen Ristin viestintädelegaattina työskentelevä Hannu-Pekka Laiho.

[...]

Vučjakin leirillä kituuttaa päivän tilanteesta riippuen 700–2 000 asukasta, he kaikki ovat miehiä ja lähtöisin Afganistanista ja Pakistanista.

Leirillä olijoiden määrä vaihtelee sen mukaan kuinka suuri joukko on milloinkin lähtenyt pyrkimään sieltä Kroatian kautta kohti pohjoista. Yleensä tavoitteena on päästä Italiaan.

[...]

Kaupunkiin oli saapunut enemmän siirtolaisia ja turvapaikanhakijoita kuin mistä viranomaiset pystyivät huolehtimaan. Puistot ja kadut alkoivat olla täynnä ihmisiä ja asukkaat saivat tästä tarpeekseen. Varkauksia ja muuta häiriötä esiintyi.

[...]

Bihaćissa on myös Kansainvälisen siirtolaisuusjärjestön IOM:n ylläpitämä keskus, jota kaupungin pormestari Suhret Fazlic on uhannut sulkemisella.

Kaksi viikkoa sitten kaupungissa järjestettiin mielenosoitus keskusta vastaan. Vučjakin leirin hyväksi paikalliset viranomaiset eivät pormestarin mukaan tee jatkossakaan mitään.

– Emme käytä penniäkään Vučjakin leiriin. Kaikki sanovat, että olosuhteet siellä ovat huonot ja niinhän ne ovatkin. Arvostelijat voivat tulla tänne auttamaan ja etsimään ratkaisua kanssamme. Brysselissä, YK:ssa ja avustusjärjestöissä on helppo istua ja kertoa kuinka huonot olot Vučjakissa ovat, Fazlic sanoi uutistoimisto Reutersille pari viikkoa sitten.

[...]

Bosnia-Hertsegovinaan jumiin jääneiden määrä on noussut sen jälkeen, kun Kroatia, Unkari ja Slovenia ovat sulkeneet rajansa paperittomilta.

Siirtolaiset ovat saapuneet Bosnia-Hertsegovinaan Kreikan, Pohjois-Makedonian ja Serbian kautta.

Viime kuukausina tulijat ovat pakkautuneet Bihaćin alueelle maan luoteisosaan. Lähes kaikkien tavoitteena on päästä Kroatian ja Slovenian kautta Italiaan.

Kroatia on kuitenkin sulkenut rajansa. Rajalla kiinni jäävät palautetaan, samoin Kroatian alueella tavoitetut.

Bosnia-Hertsegovinassa ollaan tyytymättömiä siihen, että Kroatia lähettää ihmiset takaisin. Serbiaa monet syyttävät siitä, että siirtolaiset päästetetään matkustamaan maan läpi Bosnia-Hertsegovinaan.

Siirtolaiset ovat kertoneet Kroatian viranomaisten kovakouraisista otteista. Kansainvälisen Punaisen viestintädelegaattina alueella toimiva Hannu-Pekka Laihokin on kuullut kertomuksia pahoinpitelyistä.

Rajan yli on mentävä laittomasti. Yrittäjiä on koko ajan.

[...]

Osin autolla taitettava 260 kilometrin matka Italian puolelle kustantaa Laihon tiedon mukaan 5 000 euroa. Jos saman matkan kävelee salakuljettajien avustamana, maksaa matka enintään tuhat euroa.

Salakuljettajilla on alueella käytössään kehittynyttä tekniikkaa. He käyttävät GPS-järjestelmään perustuvaa sovellusta, jonka kautta tietoa välitetään. Sovelluksen avulla voidaan seurata ryhmien liikkumista, antaa ohjeita ja varoittaa missä viranomaisia on.

– Se ei ole pelkkää navigointia, vaan kahdensuuntaista liikennettä eli pystytään antamaan ohjeita reaaliaikaisesti.

Yle 28.11.2019

Bosnia-Hertsegovinan viranomaiset kiistelevät siitä, mitä maahan vaeltaneille siirtolaisille ja turvapaikanhakijoille pitäisi tehdä.
...
Bosnia-Hertsegovinaan jumiin jääneiden määrä on noussut sen jälkeen, kun Kroatia, Unkari ja Slovenia ovat sulkeneet rajansa paperittomilta.

Tukehtukaa uuskieleenne. Kyse on laittomista siirtolaisista. Totta kai rajat ovat kiinni laittomasti maahan pyrkiviltä, jotka eivät hae rajalla turvapaikkaa.

[Alaric]

Kroatia­ssa on ollut jälleen uusi ampumatapaus poliisin ja laittomien maahantunkeutujien kohdatessa.

Pidätystä vastustanut läpsy sai kähinöinnin yhteydessä ilmeisesti itse laukaistua aseen. Luoti osui oikeaan olkapäähän.

https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/39906-illegal-migrant (28.11.2019)

Illegal Migrant Shot and Wounded While Resisting Arrest

An illegal migrant was shot and wounded while resisting a police officer in the wider Mrkopalj area of western Croatia on Wednesday, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County police said in a statement on Thursday.

The man suffered a gunshot wound to the right shoulder and was admitted to the KBC hospital in the northern Adriatic city of Rijeka on Wednesday evening. His condition is stable and his life is not in danger, the hospital said.

The incident occurred after police encountered a group of migrants in the wider Mrkopalj area. One of the migrants resisted arrest and in the process caused a police officer's gun to fire. The man was immediately administered first aid and was taken to hospital, according to the police statement.

[Alaric]

Bulgariaan rekisteröity rekka kolaroi Pohjois-Makedoniassa ja kyydistä löytyi 25 läpsyttelijää: pakistanilaisia, afgaaneja ja yksi irakilainen.

Nämä olivat tulleet laittomasti Kreikasta. Kuski pakeni.

https://www.novinite.com/articles/201919/Bulgarian-Registered+%D0%A2ruck+with+25+Migrants+Crashed+in+Northern+Macedonia (28.11.2019)

Bulgarian-Registered Тruck with 25 Migrants Crashed in Northern Macedonia

A Bulgarian-registered truck crashed near the northern Macedonian town of Kumanovo, local police reported. This was reported by the local site mkd.mk.

It turned out that 25 refugees traveled in the lorry trailer. They were injured and transported to hospital.

The incident occurred on the road from St. Nicholas to Kumanovo near the village of Gradishte. The Macedonian Interior Ministry said 15 of the refugees were from Afghanistan, nine were from Pakistan and one was Iraqi. Seven are underage.

(...)

Sloveniassa kaksi syyrialaista läpsyä kuoli, kun kahdeksaa syyrialaista kuljettanut ajoneuvo osui moottoritien aitaan Vrhnikan kaupungin lähellä.

https://english.sta.si/2702627/two-illegal-syrian-migrants-die-in-car-crash (28.11.2019)

Two illegal Syrian migrants die in car crash

Two Syrian illegal migrants died last night as a car carrying eight Syrians crashed into the motorway fence on the Ljubljana-Koper motorway near the town of Vrhnika.

(maksumuuri)

[Luka Mokonesi]

Pakien pitää vaan löytää reitti Venäjälle ja siitä Suomeen. Sieltä sitten yhtenä virtana pari miljoonaa tänne. Lahjoitetaan Ruotsille joku 100k. Norjalla onkin jo ennestään jonkin verran.

[acc]

https://www.kansalainen.fi/serbian-kautta-unkariin-pyrkivien-laittomien-siirtolaisten-maarassa-jyrkka-nousu-osa-yrittaa-kaivautumalla-raja-aidan-ali/
Kansalainen.fi 29.11.2019
Serbian kautta Unkariin pyrkivien laittomien siirtolaisten määrässä jyrkkä nousu – osa yrittää kaivautumalla raja-aidan ali

Nyt siis tulevat tunnelien kautta. Ehkä joku yritteliäs salakuljettaja myy pääsylippuja tunneliin. Tunnelit ovat eräs sodankäynnin keinoista. Wienin piirityksissä 1529 ja 1683 läpsyt olivat ahkeria kaivajia. Gazan alueelta tehdään tunneleita Israeliin.

[Pullervo]

Koko juttu on maksumuurin takana, mutta itse asia selviää jutun alustakin. Eli tämän vuoden kymmenen ensimmäisen kuukauden aikana laittomasti valtakunnanrajan ylittäen on Sloveniaan saapunut yli 14,000 laitonta siirtolaista, mikä on liki 72 % edellisvuoden vastaavaa aikaa enemmän. Laittomien siirtolaisten lähtömaiden top-kolmosessa loistavat Pakistan, Algeria ja Afganistan. Välimeren itäisellä reitillä ja Balkanilla käy kuhina.

https://english.sta.si/2703490/over-14-000-migrants-crossed-into-slovenia-through-october

Over 14,000 migrants crossed into Slovenia through October (1.12.2019)

The Slovenian police recorded 14,066 illegal crossings of the border in the first ten months of the year, which is almost 72% more than in the same period of 2018. The largest groups of migrants came from Pakistan, Algeria and Afghanistan.

(...)

[Alaric]

Joka paikasta kuuluu nyt ulinaa siitä, että Bosnia­n pitäisi sulkea Vucjak­in telttaleiri, jossa laittomat "siirtolaiset" ovat huonoissa olosuhteissa talven tullessa. Tällä kertaa asialla Euroopan neuvoston ihmisoikeuskomissaari Dunja Mijatović.

Noiden perkeleen huijarien ei edes pitäisi olla tuolla! Oma on valintansa paleltuuko vai lähteekö kotiinsa.

https://www.france24.com/en/20191203-bosnia-should-close-unacceptable-migrant-camp-council-of-europe (3.12.2019)

Bosnia should close 'unacceptable' migrant camp: Council of Europe

Bosnia should urgently close a temporary migrant camp or people will "start to die" during the winter period, a European human rights official warned Tuesday.

The camp in the village of Vucjak near the Bihac region, which borders Croatia, was built by authorities in June and houses some 600 people in makeshift tents. There is no heating and overnight temperatures fall below zero degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit).

"If we don't close the camp today, tomorrow, people will start dying here", Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic told reporters while visiting the camp, a day after it began snowing in the area.

"Whose responsibility would that be? That is the question I ask everyone," the Bosnian official added.

The camp, which is surrounded by land mines from the 1990s Bosnian war, has no running water, no electricity and putrid toilets. Every day, the Red Cross Bosnian branch provides one meal or two to the migrants.

The authorities regularly pick up migrants who roam around the town, due to the lack of places in reception centres run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The centres can accommodate around 3,500 people in the north western Bihac region.

(...)

In the past two years more than 52,000 migrants have illegally entered Bosnia, security ministry official Slobodan Ujic said last month. Most of them went to western Europe.

[Mr.Reese]

^Ylen pääuutislähetyksessä oli juuri sydäntäsärkevä reportaasi Vucjakista. Päälle nelikymppinen nuori Pakistanista valitti, että kurjaa on. Ei voi muuta kuin vetää lonkkaa teltassa. 

Kotimatka ei vaikuttanut siltikään olevan optio.

[Roope]

Ylen tv-uutisissa puhuttiin pakolaisista, vaikka eivät ole edes turvapaikanhakijoita vaan Eurooppaan tunkeutuneita laittomia siirtolaisia.

Melkoista journalismia.

[Alaric]

Yle meni tosiaan tekemään juttua noista turvapaikkahuijareista tuonne Vucjakin leirille Bosniaan.

Työpaikan saaminen kotimaassa on ollut vaikeaa, niin on lähdetty Intiasta, Pakistanista ja Afganistanista seikkailemaan Eurooppaan. Voi jeesus mitä paskaa. Ei noiden paikka ole täällä.

Jutusta löytyi myös läpsyttelykuva (liitteenä). Pitkä juttu, loput linkistä.

https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11105342 (5.12.2019)

Epätoivo alkaa voittaa Bosnian siirtolaisleirissä – Yle näki leirissä, kuinka talven tulo muutti olosuhteet hengenvaarallisiksi

Bosnian ja Kroatian rajalla on metsäleiri, jossa noin 500 EU:n alueelle pyrkivää miestä elää epäinhimillisissä olosuhteissa.

Keskelle metsää pystytetty telttakylä on illalla pimeä ja savuinen. Lämpötila on pakkasen puolella, mutta mutalammikot eivät ole vielä jäätyneet.

Vučjakin väliaikaisessa siirtolaisleirissä Bosnia-Hertsegovinan luoteiskulmassa on kärsitty viime päivinä vaikeita aikoja. Olot olivat jo ennestään kurjat, mutta pakkasten ja runsaan lumentulon myötä ne ovat muuttuneet hengenvaarallisiksi.

Nuotion äärelle lämmittelemään kerääntynyt ryhmä miehiä on vaitelias. Suurin osa leirin tällä hetkellä noin 500 asukkaasta on iltakahdeksan aikaan teltoissa huopien alla värjöttelemässä.

Savua tulee myös telttojen sisältä. Kesäkäyttöön tarkoitettuja telttoja on lämmitettävä nuotioilla, koska muutakaan lämmitystä ei ole tarjolla. Katku sisällä on melkoinen. Kukaan ei pysty nukkumaan täällä kunnon yöunia.

(...)

Leirissä on pelkästään miehiä. Suurin osa heistä on Afganistanista, Pakistanista ja Intiasta. Jotkut ovat olleet metsäleirissä viikkoja, jotkut kuukausia.

Kotimaasta on lähdetty pakoon sekä levottomuuksia että onnettomia tulevaisuudennäkymiä.

– He ovat ihan tavallisia nuoria ihmisiä, joille työpaikan saaminen kotimaassa on ollut niin vaikeaa, että he ovat päättäneet lähteä etsimään parempaa elämää, luonnehtii leirillä työskentelevä Punaisen Ristin avustustyöntekijä Hannu-Pekka Laiho.

Parempi elämä on kuitenkin jäänyt löytymättä.

Nyt nämä usein paperittomat siirtolaiset ovat juuttuneet eräänlaiseen limboon lähelle Kroatian rajaa.

(...)

Faisal kertoo, että osa leiriläisistä on ollut tällä viikolla syömälakossa vastalauseena olosuhteille.

– Sovimme ettemme ota ruokaa vastaan kolmesta neljään päivään. Pyydämme Euroopan mailta apua, päästäkää meidät pois täältä, Faisal sanoo.

(...)

Kaikkien tavoitteena metsäleirissä on päästä rajan yli Kroatiaan EU:n maaperälle, siitä Sloveniaan ja sitten Italiaan, joka ei lähetä paperittomia takaisin.

Useimmat ovat yrittäneet rajan yli monta kertaa ja päätyneet takaisin metsäleiriin. Kroatia palauttaa kiinni jääneet paperittomat siirtolaiset takaisin Vučjakiin.

– Olen ollut täällä kolmisen viikkoa. Sinä aikana olen yrittänyt rajan yli viisi kertaa. Se ei onnistunut. Minut pidätettiin aina rajalla ja palautettiin tänne, Faisal sanoo.

Hän jatkaa, ettei aio yrittää uudestaan yli lähipäivinä vuorille sataneen lumen vuoksi.

(...)

– Kreikkalaisille maksetaan pääsystä Pohjois-Makedoniaan, pohjoismakedonialaisille pääsystä Serbiaan ja serbialaisille pääsystä Bosniaan. Täällä annetaan rahaa, jotta päästäisiin Italiaan, kuvailee Intian puoleisesta Kashmirista kotoisin oleva Shabbir Ahmed.

Hän sanoo maksaneensa salakuljettajille 8 000 euroa ja tulleensa matkallaan kerran pahasti huijatuksi.

Usein Eurooppaan yrittävät käyttävät matkaan koko sukunsa omaisuuden ja sen lisäksi on otettava lainaa.

– Jokaisella on oma surullinen tarinansa ja kaikki ovat täällä pelastaakseen henkensä, 48-vuotias Ahmed sanoo. ()

(...)

Oppaita on leirissä säännöllisesti soluttautuneina siirtolaisten ja turvapaikanhakijoiden joukkoon. Heidät erottaa se, että oppailla on omat paperit kunnossa.

– Sen voi tehdä ilman oppaitakin, mutta on ostettava ruokaa, makuupusseja ja muita tarvikkeita, pitää olla kunnolliset vaatteet. Se voi maksaa 110–120 euroa, Faisal jatkaa.

(...)

Usman Ali sanoo, että Kreikassa ihmiset olivat ystävällisiä ja leirit hyviä. Bihaćissa on toisin. Hän haluaisi palata Kreikkaan, mutta suuntaa seuraavaksi todennäkäisesti Sarajevoon. Mies on vihainen.

– Katso silmiäni, en ole paha ihminen. Mutta jos tietäisin kuka tämän leirin perusti, minä voisin tehdä hänelle jotain. Tämä leiri on eläimille, ei ihmisille, Ali sanoo.

(...)

[Alaric]

No nyt sitten läpsyttäjiä on alettu siirtämään pois tuolta Vučjakin telttaleiriltä Bosniassa ja se jyrätään ilmeisesti tänään puskutraktoreilla matalaksi. Jätteet ja teltat yms. poltetaan.

Noita laittomia olisi tarkoitus siirtää tammikuussa Sarajevon lähelle Blažujiin armeijan parakkeihin, mutta tuossa alemmassa jutussa kerrotaan, että paikalliset asukkaat aikovat estää sen.

Näillä laittomilla läpsyillä ei kuitenkaan ole mitään aikomusta lähteä kotiinsa, vaan suurin osa aikoo yrittää yhä uudestaan päästä EU-alueelle eläteiksi. Osa aikoo himmailla talven ajan ehkä Bosniassa.

Liitteenä karttakuva leirin sijainnista.

https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11110924 (10.12.2019)

Kurjuudellaan kansainvälistä huomiota herättänyt Bosnian siirtolaisleiri tyhjennettiin, ja seuraavaksi se jyrätään puskutraktoreilla matalaksi

Sadat kehnoissa oloissa eläneet miehet siirretään 300 kilometrin päähän. Lähes kaikki sanovat palaavansa takaisin EU:n rajan tuntumaan.

Poliisit tyhjensivät tiistai-iltapäivänä siirtolaisten ja turvapaikanhakijoiden leirin Vučjakissa Bosnia-Hertsegovinan luoteiskulmassa.

Huterassa telttakylässä surkeissa olosuhteissa olleet miehet ohjattiin busseihin, jotka lähtivät kohti 300 kilometrin päässä sijaitsevaa Sarajevoa.

Leirissä oli loppuvaiheessa arviolta 300–400 miestä.

– Täällä oltiin isosti liikkeellä, viranomaisia oli paljon. Miehet marssitettiin busseihin ja iltapäivän aikana leiri tyhjennettiin, kertoo puhelimitse paikan päältä Kansainvälisen Punaisen Ristin viestintädelegaatti Hannu-Pekka Laiho.

Leirin miehet olivat Laihon mukaan taipuneet lähtemään, eikä levottomuuksia vaikuttanut syntyneen. Leiri oli suljettu operaation ajaksi, joten Laiho seurasi kuljetuksia läheisimmästä kylästä käsin.

Kurjuudellaan kansainvälistäkin huomiota herättänyt leiri jyrätään Laihon mukaan huomenna keskiviikkona puskutraktoreilla matalaksi. Alue desinfioidaan tautien leviämisen estämiseksi, ja teltat sekä jätteet poltetaan.

(...)

Bosnia-Hertsegovinassa kiisteltiin pitkään siitä, mitä leirin asukkaille pitäisi tehdä. Pakkasten myötä alkoi näyttää todennäköiseltä, että Vučjakissa voisi kuolla ihmisiä.

– Luulen, että paine Euroopan suunnasta ratkaisi asian, kun talvi on tiukkenemassa, Punaisen Ristin Hannu-Pekka Laiho sanoo.

(...)

Leiristä siirretyt miehet viedään Sarajevossa ensin IOM:n ylläpitämään keskukseen. Tammikuussa heidät on tarkoitus siirtää entiseen armeijan kasarmiin valmistuvaan keskukseen.

Olot ovat toista luokkaa kuin metsäleirissä.

– IOM:n keskus on ihan hyvä ja asiallinen. Eri asia on, kuinka ahdas siellä tulee, kun sinne sijoitetaan 300–400 miestä, Laiho sanoo.

Monet eivät olisi Laihon mukaan halunneet lähteä kauemmas EU-rajasta, mutta monet myös tiedostivat, ettei lämmittämättömässä leirissä olisi ollut mahdollisuutta selvitä hengissä pakkasten kiristyessä.

(...)

Viimeistään keväällä Bihaćin alueella on todennäköisesti taas paljon väkeä liikkeellä.

– Jokainen miehistä sanoo, että he yrittävät uudestaan. Osa on sitä mieltä, että he tulevat jo talvella, mutta realistisemmat kertovat tulevansa, kun lumet ovat sulaneet, Punaisen Ristin Hannu-Pekka Laiho sanoo.

Hyvin harvat ovat hänen mukaansa pohtineet paluuta kotimaahansa vaikeista olosuhteista huolimatta.

Laiho kertoo miesten sanoneen, että kun on näin lähellä EU-aluetta, tuntuisi vuosien yrittämisen jälkeen turhauttavalta lähteä pois.

https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/40131-migrants (9.12.2019)

Police Still Bringing Migrants to Camp Near Croatian Border

Police in the Una-Sana canton of northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday continued bringing migrants to the makeshift Vučjak camp outside Bihać despite last week's announcements that the camp would be dismantled as totally unsuitable for accommodation of migrants, local media said.

A group of migrants was transferred to Vučjak from a dilapidated former metal factory in Bihać on Monday morning.

An estimated 600 illegal migrants are currently staying in the Vučjak camp, situated on a former landfill near a minefield close to the Croatian border.

Last week Security Minister Dragan Mektić and the head of cantonal government, Mustafa Ružnić, agreed to close down the camp and transfer its occupants to other camps, such as Bira and Miral which meet the basic conditions for accommodation of migrants during wintertime, or to a new reception centre in Blažuj, near Sarajevo, which is not yet fit to take them in.

(...)

Residents of Blažuj are opposed to the plan and have announced to take all the necessary measures to prevent the relocation, including by blocking access to the former army barracks which would serve as a temporary shelter for about 350 migrants.

[Alaric]

Serbialaisen mamukeskuksen (tms.) johtaja kertoo, että Kroatia­n rajapolisiit ovat viikkojen ajan hakanneet ja ryöstäneet Bosniasta laittomasti maahan yrittäneitä "siirtolaisia", ja muiluttaneet nämä sen jälkeen Serbiaan. Hän puhuu jopa 50-100 henkilöstä per päivä.

Tehokasta.

https://www.telegraf.rs/english/3131338-djurovic-croatian-police-secretly-transferring-up-to-100-migrants-to-serbia-every-day (12.12.2019)

Djurovic: Croatian police secretly transferring up to 100 migrants to Serbia every day

The director of the Asylum Protection Center says horror testimonies are heard from migrants coming from Croatia

For weeks, the Croatian police have been beating and robbing migrants coming to that country via Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and then secretly transporting them to Serbia, Rados Djurovic, director of the Asylum Protection Center, has told the Mitrovica Info portal.

According to him, the worst such case happened 15 days ago when hundreds of refugees who came to Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina near Slavonski Brod were harassed, shoved into police vans, and transferred across the border to Serbia near Sid and Adasevci. As Mitrovica Info writes, they were first stripped of their shoes and clothes and then forced to walk through a forest, and into our country.

Djurovic says that between 50 and 100 migrants are being transferred from Croatia to Serbia in this way every day.

"The Croatians are literally playing ping-pong with refugees. As a group comes to them from Bosnia and Herzegovina, they secretly take them to Serbia, humiliating them along the way. The latest example of about a hundred refugees being transferred to Serbia near Sid best illustrated that. They were picked up by Croatian police officers after they came from BiH, shoved into police vans and brought to our border," says Djurovic, adding:

"They were forced to take off their clothes and shoes, and then shoved over to our side (of the border). The migrants walked barefoot to the reception center in Adasevci (in Serbia). We heard terrible testimonies from them about how they were beaten, locked up, robbed by the Croatians," says Djurovic.

(...)

[Alaric]

https://twitter.com/HommaMedia/status/1208411050321883138

[tweet]1208411050321883138[/tweet]

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191220-montenegro-to-deploy-troops-to-stem-migrant-flows/ (20.12.2019)

Montenegro to deploy troops to stem migrant flows

Montenegro will deploy troops to its borders in response to a rise in the number of migrants passing through the country on a new Balkan route to the European Union, Reuters reports.

Nearly 8,000 migrants from the Middle East and North Africa transited Montenegro in 2019 en route to wealthier EU countries, nearly double the previous year's total, according to the International Organization for Migration.

"The army will be engaged to protect the state borders and assist law-enforcement agencies," the State Defence and Security Council said in a statement on Friday.

The deployment was expect to start by the end of the year.

(...)

Serbia­ssa notkuu virallisesti tällä hetkellä n. 4500 "siirtolaista" seitsemässätoista keskuksessa. Afgaaneja, pakistanilaisia, bangladeshilaisia jne. Tänä vuonna vain 220 on hakenut turvapaikkaa.

Suurin osa yrittänee jatkaa matkaa EU-alueelle.

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/generalnews/2019/12/18/migrants-4500-in-serbia-20-are-children_76b6f682-7501-46ed-ac87-39517aa8b2c1.html (18.12.2019)

Migrants: 4,500 in Serbia, 20% are children

Hosted in 17 centers. 'Balkan route' never completely closed

There are currently 4,500 immigrants in Serbia staying at 17 hosting centers, the Serbian commissioner for refugees said on Wednesday, International Migrants Day. A reported 20% are children, including 5% who are unaccompanied minors.

The majority of migrants are citizens of Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Iraq and Bangladesh. Over the course of this year, the commissioner said, 220 migrants applied for asylum in Serbia and 32 were successful.

The commissioner stressed the work carried out by Serbian authorities in assisting the most vulnerable refugees, mainly children, unaccompanied minors, women, seniors and the sick.

(...)

[Alaric]

https://twitter.com/HommaMedia/status/1211247993476780032

[tweet]1211247993476780032[/tweet]

https://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/interview/un-official-concerned-about-denial-of-access-to-asylum-procedures-in-croatia/ (27.12.2019)

UN official 'concerned' about denial of access to asylum procedures in Croatia

The Croatian government must 'urgently' address reports suggesting it is denying access to asylum procedures in the country, a high-ranking official from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) told EURACTIV Croatia in an interview.

"UNHCR is currently concerned about the report of denied access to asylum in Croatia, and that has to be urgently addressed by the government," said Montserrat Feixas Vihé, UNHCR's Regional Representative.

Montserrat Feixas Vihé has been UNHCR's Regional Representative based in Budapest since July 2013. She is responsible for the coordination and management of UNHCR's operations in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

She spoke to EURACTIV Croatia's Tea Trubić Macan.

(...)

Reports of people claiming mistreatment by Croatian police and denial of access to asylum are all over media. What are UNHCR's findings on this, and what has the organisation done so far to address them?

Croatia has a legitimate right to control its borders and manage irregular movements. However, countries also have an obligation under international law to assess the requests of asylum-seekers. Effective border management is not incompatible with responding to the rights of asylum seekers. Based on its monitoring activities, UNHCR has identified serious concerns about people, including potential asylum seekers, who were forcibly denied entry or removed from one country to another through the region.

Our organisation has received and subsequently shared with the authorities credible reports of people who claim they have been unlawfully returned from Croatia to BiH and Serbia. These reports highlight problems regarding the identification of asylum claims, violence and excessive use of force, identification of vulnerable individuals, treatment of unaccompanied children, etc.

UNHCR has requested the Croatian government to investigate all claims of violations and abuse and to establish an independent assessment mechanism to establish the facts of the border situation. We have been raising our concerns with the government, including during our recent meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman last week, urging them to ensure access to the territory for asylum seekers in accordance with their international legal obligations.

(...)

What would UNHCR see as a realistic way forward in the situation Croatia currently is, with international organisations, NGOs and media claiming pushback and unlawful practices at the border and the government dismissing them as false and unsubstantiated?

It would be useful if there could be a joint, independent assessment of the border situation, in which different institutions could participate. This would allow to identify the issues and agree on ways to address them. UNHCR has also published a discussion paper 'Fair and Fast', whose goal is to find ways forward offering guidance on simplified and accelerated procedures. That paper makes recommendations on how to respond to the very complex situation that Europe is facing at its borders.

(...)

[Alaric]

Kroatia: Turkkilainen ihmissalakuljettaja törmäsi pakoa yrittäessään pakettiautolla poliisiautoon Zagrebissa. Kyydissä oli 15 laitonta "siirtolaista".

Tänä vuonna maassa on pidätetty jo 976 ihmissalakuljettajaa. Balkanin reitillä riittää liikennettä.

https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/40485-turkish-smuggler-crashes-van (29.12.2019)

Turkish Smuggler Crashes Migrant Van into Croatia Police Vehicle

Police officers from the Zagreb Police Department are conducting a criminal investigation involving a 34-year-old Turkish national, who attempted to smuggle 15 migrants, after he disobeyed police orders, hit a police vehicle with his van and attempted to flee.

The suspect has been detained on charges of committing the criminal offenses of "Illegal entry, movement and stay in the Republic of Croatia, another EU Member State or signatories to the Schengen Agreement", "Coercion against an official" and "Damage to someone else's property," according to Laura Vuckovic/Zagreb Info on December 28, 2019.

On Tuesday, December 24, 2019 at 12:45am, police officers stopped an Iveco Daily van with German license plates, which was driven by a 34-year-old Turkish national, at the Sveta Helena rest stop on the A4 Zagreb – Goričan motorway. Upon inspection, the officers discovered 15 asylum seekers in the cargo area of ​​the van.

Turkish National Loaded Van in Zagreb

A criminal investigation has confirmed that the suspect, a Turkish national, placed the 15 asylum seekers in the cargo area of ​​a van on December 24, at an undetermined location in Zagreb, with the intention of acquiring undue financial gain. While driving on the A4 Zagreb - Goričan motorway, he was spotted and stopped by police officers at a gas station, and the police officer identified himself to the driver with a badge and ID.

Although the police officer was standing next to the driver's door, the suspect disobeyed his order to turn off and exit the vehicle. Then, he attempted to flee by driving away and struck the front door of the police vehicle with his van. After about 15 meters, police officers prevented him from going any further and escaping.

(...)

Almost 1000 Migrant Smugglers Arrested in Croatia

As of December 27, 2019; 976 migrant smugglers have been arrested in Croatia and charged with 904 crimes. As of the same date; 1,661 people have also applied for international protection in Croatia. In more than 70 percent of those cases, the procedure for granting international protection has been suspended because the applicants have arbitrarily left the official asylum seekers' shelter, which suggests a systematic abuse of the Procedure for International Protection.

(...)

[Alaric]

Bosniassa alkaa heräillä haluja laittaa rajat kiinni läpsyttelijöiltä, sillä maan vakaus ja turvallisuus ovat uhattuina.

https://www.kansalainen.fi/bosnia-hertsegovina-haluaa-estaa-laittomien-siirtolaisten-maahantulon-kyse-on-turvallisuudesta-ja-alueen-vakaudesta/ (6.1.2020)

Bosnia-Hertsegovina haluaa estää laittomien siirtolaisten maahantulon – kyse on turvallisuudesta ja alueen vakaudesta

Bosnia-Hertsegovinan ministerineuvosto pitää siirtolaiskriisiä vakavana uhkana.

Dragan Čović, Bosnia-Hertsegovinan ministerineuvoston puheenjohtaja vakuuttaa, että neuvosto tulee katsomaan siirtolaiskriisiä uudesta näkökulmasta. Siitä on tulossa Bosnia-Hertsegovinaa ja sen vakautta uhkaava merkittävä ongelma.

– On tosiasia, että tähän saakka emme ole harkinneet siirtolaisten pysäyttämistä ja laittoman maahantulon estämistä, sen sijaan olemme miettineet, miten heidän suhteensa tulisi toimia, Čović sanoi lauantaina Mostarissa, missä hän tapasi EU-puheenjohtajamaa Kroatian ulko- ja Eurooppa-asioiden ministerin Gordan Grlić-Radmanin.

Čović usko, että siirtolaiskriisi on muuttunut humanitaarisesta ongelmasta turvallisuusongelmaksi.

– Toivon, että ministerineuvosto saa ajettua läpi jo kaksi vuotta sitten esille nostamansa lait, jotta näiden ihmisten ei enää annettaisi saapua maahan. Emme edes tiedä näiden ihmisten henkilöllisyyttä ja heidän todellisia aikeitaan, ministerineuvoston puheenjohtaja Čović painotti.

(...)

[Alaric]

https://twitter.com/HommaMedia/status/1216736911777288192

[tweet]1216736911777288192[/tweet]

http://www.sarajevotimes.com/3000-illegal-pakistani-immigrants-residing-in-bosnia-herzegovina-refused-assistance-to-return-home/ (11.1.2019)

3,000 Illegal Pakistani Immigrants residing in Bosnia-Herzegovina refused Assistance to return Home

Around 3,000 illegal Pakistani immigrants detained in inhumane conditions in Bosnia have refused assistance from the government of Pakistan to return home.

Special Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aman Rashid told the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development that the Jungle Migrants Camp in Vucjak was located on the border with European Union (EU). These Pakistanis, mostly youngsters, are waiting for an opportunity to escape into EU in the hope of better jobs.

"Officials from the Pakistani mission in Bosnia have visited the detainees seven times and offered them a chance to be shifted to a detention centre with better facilities. But they declined the offer because the new camp is far from the border and minimises their chances of escaping into Europe," he said.

Members of the committee had taken up the issue after some Pakistanis in the Jungle Migrants Camp sent messages to be rescued and repatriated.

Chairman of the committee Hilalur Rehman said he had watched disturbing videos of Pakistani immigrants locked up in the camp, and had been requesting the government to assist.

(...)

[Alaric]

Pohjois-Makedoniassa poliisi onnistui löytämään rutiinitarkastuksessa kuorma-auton, johon oli ängetty 36 laitonta "siirtolaista".

Nämä syyrialaiset, afgaanit, pakit jne. olivat tulleet laittomasti Kreikasta ja heidät tullaan karkottamaan takaisin.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-7889991/Police-North-Macedonia-36-migrants-packed-truck.html (15.1.2020)

Police in North Macedonia find 36 migrants packed in truck

Police in North Macedonia found 36 migrants who are believed to have entered the country illegally from Greece packed in a truck during a routine check. The driver was arrested.

Police said Wednesday that officers stopped the truck near the southern town of Strumitsa on Tuesday. They said the three dozen people in the truck included 21 Syrians, nine Afghans, three Pakistanis, two Iraqis and one person from Cameroon.

(...)

[Alaric]

https://twitter.com/HommaMedia/status/1217756882506567680

[tweet]1217756882506567680[/tweet]

http://www.sarajevotimes.com/security-minister-announced-new-approach-in-managing-illegal-migrations/ (15.1.2020)

Security Minister announced New Approach in Managing Illegal Migrations

At the meeting held on Wednesday in Sarajevo, members of the Operational Staff for Migration Issues in Bosnia-Herzegovina discussed the current situation in this area and discussed a plan for managing the migrant crisis in BiH.

(...)

The meeting was also attended by BiH Minister of Security Fahrudin Radoncic, who announced a new approach to managing illegal migration in BiH.  He emphasized that the care of migrants can not only be a problem for the BiH Ministry of Security, but for all institutions and levels of government in BiH.

He stressed that the focus will be on more efficient border control and prevention of entry of illegal migrants in BiH, strengthening the capacities of the BiH Border Police and the BiH Foreign Affairs Service, but also announced talks with the Ministers of Interior of neighboring countries on joint resolution of this problem.

(...)

It was noted that due to weather conditions, the number of arrivals of illegal migrants in BiH has been reduced, and there are currently almost 5,500 in reception centers.

[Alaric]

Rötöstelevät läpsyttelijät aiheuttavat pelkoa kroatialaisessa Ilokin kaupungissa Serbian rajalla.

https://twitter.com/HommaMedia/status/1221456510452105216

[tweet]1221456510452105216[/tweet]

https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/41063-croatia-migrant-burglaries (25.1.2020)

Croatia Border Town Shaken By Migrant Burglaries: Ilok Locals Live in Fear

While EU politicians, leaders, foreign journalists and human rights organizations play political football, assign blame and discuss solutions for the migrant crisis along the Balkan Route; frightened residents of Croatia border towns, like the town of Ilok, are locking themselves in their homes at night out of fear of burglaries and much worse.

"We are scared! In the middle of the night, we caught migrant burglars circling our house. I thought my son was going to work, but sensed something suspicious and saw two masked people at our front door," reported one shaken Ilok local.

Croatia Police Not Publicly Reporting Ilok Migrant Burglaries

In the Fall of 2015, during the great migrant crisis, more than half a million migrants passed through Eastern Croatia on their way to more economically desirable Western European countries. Not a single major incident, or even any minor incidents, were reported during the entire relocation process. However, four years later, locals in some border towns in the same part of Eastern Croatia are living in fear, according to Branimir Bradarić/Večernji List on January 25, 2020. Migrants are entering their towns and villages and burglarizing shops, and a recent attempt was even made to break into a house. There have been also reports of car theft and one incident ended with a car accident in which several migrants were injured while trying to escape authorities in a stolen vehicle.

All this has happened over the last half year but there were signs of trouble even before then. However the police have avoided discussing these burglaries in their regular reports the media. Therefore, frightened residents have decided to go public with these incidents on their own. The situation has deteriorated most notably in the Eastern Croatia city of Ilok, where residents are no longer willing to remain silent about their fears for safety in their own homes.

(...)

Ilok Residents Concerned for Safety and Property

"I'm really scared now. From that day, my life has not been the same. I have a difficult time sleeping and am always on the alert for unusual noises. Every little noise will jolt me wide awake as does the sound of barking dogs. I'm afraid that they'll try to break into my house again. And, I'm particularly scared because nobody knows what these people are prepared to do. Nor does anyone know what they would have done if they had entered our house, or how it all could have ended. We just want to feel safe in our town again, and especially safe in our own home. Unfortunately, that's not the case anymore," Lončar admits.

She adds that, after their burglary, they started hearing about several similar break-ins throughout town – and other locals have witnessed migrants breaking into homes. She claims that there are currently several unoccupied houses in Ilok, and migrants are breaking into them so they can hide temporarily before continuing their journey further into the interior of Croatia and the rest of Europe.

The Ilok locals have also reported finding discarded clothing all over town as migrants change their clothes before continuing their journey westward. There have also been reports of migrants crossing the border and continuing down the road before they are caught by police.

Ilok Break Ins and Burglaries Widespread

Jadranka Tomašić's shop has also been hit by migrants. They have succeeded in burglarizing her shop in two out of three attempts. In both of those cases, according to Tomašić, they stole certain brands of cigarettes, some alcohol and Nescafé. About 20,000 HRK (2687 EUR) of merchandise has been stolen from her shop, and the front door of her store was damaged too. They also ran off with all the cash they found.

"I do not feel safe here anymore, and I am not the only one. Other Ilok residents don't feel safe in their town either. In addition to everything else, you can see the effects of fear in front of elementary schools at the end of the school day. Parents are now coming to school in cars to pick up their children. People are locking themselves in their homes before dark and are avoiding going out in the evening. No matter how you look at it, the situation is not at all simple or straightforward," Tomašić reveals with concern.

(...)

[Alaric]

Tässä kaksi hieman ristiriitaista uutista Bosniasta.

Maan turvallisuusministeri Radončić ei halua maansa muuttuvan "siirtolaisten parkkipaikaksi" ja pitää hyvin tärkeänä, että Kroatian raja pysyy tiiviinä.

Hänen mukaansa EU:n pitäisi käsitellä "siirtolaisia" myös turvallisuusongelmana.

Ja sitten Bihaciin ollaan kuitenkin rakentamassa massiivista ja läpsyttelijöille oikein miellyttäväksi tehtävää vokkia, joka valmistunee keväällä.

https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/41261-migrants (3.2.2020)

Bosnia Won't Become Parking Lot for Migrants, Says Minister in Zagreb

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Security Minister Fahrudin Radončić on Monday said in Zagreb that economic migration is not a humanitarian issue and that he would do everything so that Bosnia and Herzegovina does not become a parking lot for migrants.

"We have deliberately chosen Croatia for our first bilateral meeting to show that relations with Croatia are strategically important for us because we share more than one thousand kilometres of border," said Radončić who was recently appointed as the country's new Security Minister.

"Bosnia finds it exceptionally important that Croatian border is absolutely impenetrable for illegal migrants for security and other reasons," Radončić underscored.

"Not only will Croatia achieve its objectives with regard to entering the Schengen Area in that way, but it will also achieve a pragmatic position in that the route across Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be that attractive for migrants and they will bypass us," he explained.

Croatia's Interior Minister Davor Božinović agreed with his counterpart but added that it is not in anyone's interest for another or third route to exist.

"We need to come to an agreement at the EU level about the objective and intention with regard to economic migrations," Božinović added.

"Solidarity of everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region is necessary. If the EU and we do not come to an agreement, there will be problems. I will do everything for Bosnia and Herzegovina to not become a parking lot for migrants," Radončić underlined and called on Brussels to not treat the migrant crisis merely as a humanitarian issue but one of security too.

(...)

https://www.kansalainen.fi/bosniaan-rakennettavan-massiivisen-vastaanottokeskuksen-odotetaan-valmistuvan-siirtolaisvyoryn-alkuun-mennessa-kevaalla/ (3.2.2020)

Bosniaan rakennettavan massiivisen vastaanottokeskuksen odotetaan valmistuvan siirtolaisvyöryn alkuun mennessä keväällä

Vuoden 2019 marraskuussa Bosnia-Hertsegovinassa sijaitsevan Bihacin kaupunginvaltuusto päätti tilapäisen vastaanottokeskuksen perustamisesta Lipaan.

Suunnitelmien mukaan 1102 kontista muodostuva siirtolaisten vastaanottoon tarkoitettu kokonaisuus koostuu 728 asunto- ja 252 saniteettikontista sekä 126 kontista, jotka on tarkoitettu poliisia, Punaista ristiä, rekisteröitymispistettä, kansalaisjärjestöjä sekä mediaa varten. Myös keittiö ja ruokasali rakennetaan.

Koko vastaanottokompleksi tulee Sarajevo Times -lehden mukaan olemaan pinta-alaltaan 8,3 hehtaaria. Alueelle rakennetaan 4,5 kilometriä teitä sekä sähkö-, vesijohto- ja viemäriverkosto.

Kontteihin tulee ikkunat, parkettilattiat ja kaikki muu, mitä siirtolaiset tarvitsevat mukavaan oleskeluun. Ulkopuolelta kontit on somistettu miellyttävillä väreillä. Alueelta löytyy myös virkistysalue jalkakäytävineen, puineen ja pensaineen.

(...)

[Mr.Reese]

Ilman disco-rahaa, discoja ja naisoletettuja eivät taatusti jää konttikylään kuin kerämään voimiaan uuteen tunkeutumisyritykseen schengen-alueelle.
Luultavasti tuolta saadaan uutisia usein pienistä joukkokähinöistä, joissa keklutkin viuhuu. #afgaaninuorukaiset #usual suspects

[Alaric]

Romania ei ole kaikkein suosituin laittomien läpsyjen kauttakulkumaa, mutta kyllä sielläkin liikennettä tuntuu piisaavan, kun uutisia seurailee.

21 irakilaista, egyptiläistä ja syyrialaista löydettiin Unkarin vastaisella rajalla turkkilaisen ajamasta rekasta. Kaikki olivat hakeneet turvapaikkaa Romaniasta, mutta tarkoituksena oli tietenkin päästä Länsi-Eurooppaan.

https://www.stiripesurse.ro/more-than-20-migrants-hiding-in-a-truck-with-car-spare-parts-discovered-at-nadlac-ii-border-checkpoint_1428085.html (4.2.2020)

More than 20 migrants hiding in a truck with car spare parts discovered at Nadlac II border checkpoint

A number of 21 citizens from Iraq, Egypt and Syria, who were trying to illegally leave the country, were found hidden in a truck that was carrying car spare parts, at the Nadlac II border checkpoint, on Monday night.

On Monday night, a 45 aged Turk citizen, who was driving a vehicle with a tractor head and a semi-trailer, registered in Turkey, arrived at the border for formalities to leave the country, according to a press release of the Timisoara Border Police Inspectorate.

After carrying out a specific risk analysis, the policemen from the Nadlac II - Csanadpalota checkpoint - in cooperation with the employees of the Timisoara Border Police Inspectorate, proceeded to a detailed verification of the vehicle, discovering thus 21 persons hidden in the front part of the truck's trailer, among the goods to be exported.

(...)

Pohjois-Makedonia­ssa on vangittu kolmen pakistan­ilaisen ja yhden paikallisen jengi, joka otti panttivangeiksi ja kidutti läpsyttelijöitä vaatien näistä lunnaita omaisilta.

https://apnews.com/7507510780a06256ccc9c2a16e8e6a7c (3.2.2020)

North Macedonia: Migrants allegedly held to ransom, abused

Authorities in North Macedonia have filed criminal charges against three Pakistanis and a Macedonian man for allegedly imprisoning a group of migrants and holding them to ransom, officials said Monday.

The prosecutor's office said the men were believed to have behaved in a "particularly degrading and cruel" manner to the 12 migrants, including two minors, from India, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

They were allegedly detained for two weeks in October in a house in the country's north. The four suspects were arrested last year but the arrests were announced Monday.

According to the prosecution, the suspects "caused (the migrants) to lose their sense of time, gave them food only once a day and physically abused them." They also allegedly demanded money from their prisoners' relatives in other European countries and threatened to kill the migrants when they asked to be freed.

One migrant managed to contact relatives who reported the case to Serbian authorities, who in turn informed police in North Macedonia, the prosecutor's office said.

The three Pakistanis were arrested and are in custody pending trial. If convicted, they face up to eight years in prison. The Macedonian national, who owns the house where the migrants were allegedly being held, has also been charged and is under house arrest.

(...)

[Alaric]

Pohjois-Makedonia: Maan kaakkoisosassa Valandovon kaupungin lähellä poliisi on löytänyt rekkaan ahdettuna jopa 53 laitonta läpsyttelijää. Kuski pidätettiin epäiltynä ihmissalakuljetus jengiin kuulumisesta.

Lastina oli afgaaneja, pakeja, intialaisia, irakilainen ja egyptiläinen. Nämä olivat tulleet laittomasti Kreikasta ja heidät ilmeisesti karkotetaan sinne takaisin.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/249522/article/ekathimerini/news/north-macedonia-finds-53-migrants-crammed-into-a-truck (13.2.2020)

North Macedonia finds 53 migrants crammed into a truck

Police in North Macedonia have found 53 migrants crammed into a truck in a southeastern border region and arrested the driver on suspicion of belonging to a trafficking gang, officials said Thursday.

A police statement said the vehicle was stopped during a routine check late Wednesday near the town of Valandovo, which is close to North Macedonia's borders with Greece and Bulgaria.

Police said 37 of the migrants were from Afghanistan, 12 were Pakistanis, two were Indians and there was one Iraqi and one Egyptian. The driver was identified as a 43-year-old man from North Macedonia.

The migrants are believed to have entered North Macedonia illegally from Greece.

(...)

[Alaric]

Bosnian Bihać­issa pelätään jälleen läpsyttelijätilanteen eskaloitumista.

Hallituksella ei ole suunnitelmaa asian hoitamiseksi, Una-Sanan alueella Kroatian rajan pinnassa notkuu ainakin 5000 laitonta, 80 uutta tulee per päivä ja rikollisuus on reippaassa nousussa eikä lisää poliiseja ole saatavilla, koska näiden palkkaamiseen ei ole varaa.

https://www.total-croatia-news.com/politics/41558-migrant (17.2.2020)

Bihać Fears Escalation of Migrant Crisis on Croatian Border

The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is critical due to the problem of illegal migrant crisis and it will certainly be even worse as there is still no coordination in taking the necessary measures nor any indication that the new Council of Ministers might take more resolute action, an Una-Sava Canton official says.

(...)

Una-Sana Canton is the hardest hit by the migrant crisis. Bihać city authorities estimate that there are about 5,000 illegal migrants in that region. Precise data indicates that 3,500 are accommodated in reception centres, while the rest are left to their own devices, staying in private accommodation if they can afford it, while others sleep in abandoned and dilapidated buildings in urban areas.

Kljajić says all reception centres have been full for a long time and that the situation is critical as BiH has no consolidated migration management plan.

Local police are having a hard time dealing with the challenges as the number of criminal offences is rising and there is no money to hire more officers.

A mild winter has already encouraged illegal migrants to attempt to continue towards BiH's western border, with more and more arriving in Una-Sana Canton every day. According to local police, at least 80 arrive every day and there is no room to accommodate them.

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[Alaric]

Serbian viranomaiset ovat pidättäneet viisi henkilöä, joita epäillään  yli 140:n läpsyn salakuljetuksesta bussilla ja veneillä Bosniaan viime marraskuusta lähtien. Porukkaa johti syyrialainen.

Useimmat Serbiaan tulevat läpsyt ovat Syyriasta, Irakista, Afganistanista ja Jemenistä.

https://www.rferl.org/a/serbia-arrests-five-people-suspected-of-smuggling-over-140-migrants/30444019.html (19.2.2020)

Serbia Arrests Five People Suspected Of Smuggling Over 140 Migrants

Serbian authorities have arrested five people suspected of trafficking more than 140 migrants.

The detainees are accused of helping migrants cross into neighboring Bosnia-Herzegovina, prosecutors said on February 19.

"Since November of last year, a group of suspects smuggled migrants by bus from Belgrade to the border with Bosnia-Herzegovina," the prosecutors' statement said.

Led by a Syrian national, the group also used boats to cross the Drina River to reach Bosnia.

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Officials say most of the migrants come from war-torn countries like Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

Laittomat läpsyt yrittävät päästä Länsi- ja Pohjois-Eurooppa­an myös Bulgaria­n kautta.

Viime vuonna Bulgarian ja Kreikan rajalla pidätettiin yli 200 laittomasti maahan tullutta ja 39 ihmissalakuljettajaa. Noin 4000 tunkeutusmisyritystä estettiin.

https://www.bnt.bg/en/a/more-than-200-illegal-migrants-detained-at-the-bulgarian-greek-border-in-2019 (18.2.2020)

More than 200 illegal migrants detained at the Bulgarian-Greek border in 2019

More than 200 migrants have been detained in attempts to cross the Bulgarian-Greek border illegally at and beyond border crossings in 2019, BNR reported on February 18...

More than 200 migrants have been detained in attempts to cross the Bulgarian-Greek border illegally at and beyond border crossings in 2019, BNR reported on February 18. The data was presented in a report of the Regional Border Police Directorate in Smolyan, Southern Bulgaria. Some 39 persons have been detained for involvement in human smuggling.

The report also says that the border police has prevented 4,000 attempts for crossing the Bulgarian-Greek border illegally.

In 2019, approximately 15 million people and 6 million motor vehicles crossed the six border crossings at the Bulgarian-Greek border. Kulata and Makaza were the busiest.

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Balkan­in maista myös Romania­an kohdistuu "siirtolaispainetta".

Vuonna 2019 rekisteröitiin 3727 laitonta rajanylitystä (+24 %). Moninkertainen määrä on toki jäänyt huomaamatta...

Irakilaisia, afgaaneja, syyrialaisia, bangladeshilaisia, algerialaisia jne.

Liitteenä jutusta otettu kuva Romanian rajalla pysäytetyistä matuista.

https://rmx.news/article/article/migration-pressure-mounting-at-romania-s-border (18.2.2020)

Migration pressure mounting at Romania's border

24 percent rise in migrants attempting to illegally enter or exit Romania compared to 2018

Migratory pressure on Romania is mounting, with the number of migrants of trying to enter or leave the country illegally rising to 3,727 in 2019 from 2,986 in the previous year, the Romanian Border Police said in its annual report.

The report has a separate part that details illegal immigration, which shows that 2,048 persons have been apprehended last year attempting to illegally enter Romania and 1,679 attempting to leave the country by similar means. It also said that 699 groups of migrants have been detected, aided by 256 Romanian citizens.

Most of the illegal border crossing attempts (2,684) were made on foot over border, but 827 migrants have been found hidden in vehicles, and a smaller number, 216, were discovered either using counterfeit documents or attempting to avoid border control.

The Romanian border police said that those apprehended came from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Bangladesh, Algeria, Turkey, Iran, Somalia, Morocco, and Vietnam.

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[Alaric]

Kroatia on pystyttänyt Bosnia­n vastaiselle rajanylityspisteelle kolme metriä korkean raja-aidan "siirtolaisten" tulvan ehkäisemiseksi.

Bosnian puolella Bihaćissa/lähialueilla on tuhansia laittomia, jotka yrittävät päästä EU-alueelle.

http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/politics/2020/02/21/migrants-croatia-puts-up-barrier-at-bosnia-border-crossing_28184b9c-505e-4db6-bd6a-17e0874d0e1e.html (21.2.2020)

Migrants: Croatia puts up barrier at Bosnia border crossing

Not far from Bihac, where refugees are concentrated

Croatia on Friday put up a barrier about three meters long at a border crossing with Bosnia, to facilitate controls and prevent the illegal passage of migrants, said Bosnian website Klix.

Croatia's interior ministry confirmed that the barrier was put up "in accordance with European laws on control and protection of EU external borders".

The barrier was installed at the Licko Petrovo Selo border crossing between Croatia and Bosnia, on the road that leads to the nearby Bosnian town of Bihac.

For about two years, this area has been along the part of the Balkan route most frequently used by migrants to cross through Croatia, which still isn't part of the Schengen Area, as they attempt to reach Slovenia, Austria, or Italy.

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Similar barriers were recently placed at at least six other border crossings with Serbia and Bosnia.

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Pohjois-Makedoniassa poliisi otti kiinni 47 "siirtolaista", jotka oli jätetty hylättyyn rekkaan. Pakistanilaisia, irakilaisia, afgaaneja.

https://www.rferl.org/a/north-macedonia-police-find-migrants-abandoned-border-bulgaria-greece/30449520.html (23.2.2020)

North Macedonia Police Find 47 Migrants In Truck, Second Discovery In 10 Days

Police in North Macedonia say they have discovered 47 migrants in an abandoned truck in the southwest region of the Balkan country near the borders of Bulgaria and Greece.

Police said on February 22 that the parked truck was found late the previous night with migrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq inside. The driver had already left when police arrived, officials said.

Authorities said the migrants entered the country from Greece and that they plan to deport them back there.

The discovery comes just more than a week after police said they found 53 migrants in a truck, also in the southeastern border region near Greece and Bulgaria. Police arrested the driver, who is suspected of being part of a trafficking gang.

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The discovery of migrants in abandoned vans or trucks has become a relatively common occurrence in North Macedonia. The country's police say in the first three weeks of the year, a total of 1,365 migrants who had entered the country illegally were spotted.

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[Alaric]

Turvallisuusministeri Fahrudin Radoncic: Bosnia-Herzegovina ei toimi enää laittomien siirtolaisten parkkipaikkana, vaan 10 000 maassa notkuvaa elintasopakolaista karkotetaan maasta, koska nämä muodostavat turvallisuusuhan ja maksavat maalle valtavasti.

https://twitter.com/HommaMedia/status/1253296310943268867

[tweet]1253296310943268867[/tweet]

https://www.sarajevotimes.com/bosnian-security-minister-we-will-deport-all-migrants-from-bosnia-and-herzegovina/ (23.4.2020)

Bosnian Security Minister: We will deport all Migrants from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Security Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Fahrudin Radoncic said on Federal Television on Wednesday that Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be a European parking lot for migrants and that 10,000 of them will be deported from our country, Klix.ba news portal reports.

"My position is accurate, yesterday I gave instructions to the director of the Foreign Affairs Office, Slobodan Ujic, to request that 9 to 10 thousand illegal economic migrants be enlisted to see how to deport them from BiH. Let's see who agrees to voluntary deportation and we will see what to do with thousands of those who don't want to show a passport to see who they are. It's a huge security problem, it's ruining the lives of our citizens, "Radoncic said.

He stressed that he would not now deal with refugees from Syria because this is another problem that needs to be addressed.

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