“The European Union must prevent violence against refugees at the Croatian border”
Amnesty International has strongly criticized the European Union's policy towards refugees on the Croatian border, holding the EU responsible for violence against refugees in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Amnesty International has issued a statement warning of the dire situation for refugees on the Croatian border. The report calls on EU member states to take action against violence and abuse of refugees in refugee camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The statement also accused the European Union of financially supporting the Croatian border police to turn back refugees, instead of helping them.
The report points out the deplorable situation of refugees in these refugee camps and states that refugees are deprived of their most basic rights and their safety is not ensured.
Indifference of European Union officials
The statement also pointed out the indifference of European Union officials towards the mistreatment of refugees by Croatian border police.
The statement said that a comparison of the amount of money the EU allocates to assist the Croatian border police with the budget foreseen for humanitarian aid indicates the EU's priorities regarding the issue of asylum.
In its statement, Amnesty International also points to the precarious situation of approximately 5,500 women, men, and children living in the small towns of Bihac and Velika Kladusa, located on the Croatian border.
The statement said that these refugees have been abandoned in abandoned factories without access to the most basic services. The temporary refugee camps are in a very poor sanitary condition, and the refugees suffer from a lack of hot water and medical services.
Amnesty International has also criticized the lack of food to meet the most obvious human needs of these refugees.
These refugees are mainly those who were expelled from Croatia and Slovenia and were forced to settle in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Amnesty International's statement is based, among other things, on information published about the situation of these refugees in the camps in the cities of Bihac and Velika Kladuša.
These reports mention the mistreatment of the refugees, and it is stated that the authorities have even confiscated the refugees' small money and property. It is even said that the documents and papers that these refugees had with them were destroyed by the border police officers.
In a statement, Amnesty International called on EU member states to take immediate action to support refugees arriving in Croatia's border areas.
Source: DW
