BIH AC, Bosnia-Herzegovina – Hundreds of migrants were stranded in burnt tent camps in Bosnia on Saturday due to heavy snowfall in the country and a sudden drop in winter temperatures.
Migrants to the Lipa camp in northwestern Bosnia were wrapped in blankets and sleeping bags to protect themselves from the biting wind in the region bordering Croatia, a member of the European Union.
The fire earlier this week destroyed several camps near the city of Bihak, which has already been sharply criticized by international officials and aid groups for making the accommodation unsuitable for refugees and migrants.
Despite the fire, Bosnian authorities have failed to find new facilities for migrants at Lipa, with about 1 person trapped in the cold, eating only a handful of food parcels provided by aid groups due to lack of facilities or heat.
Kamal Softik / AP
“It is snowing, sub-zero temperature, no heat, nothing,” tweeted Peter van der Weer, the main mission of the International Organization for Migration in Bosnia. “No one should live this way. We need political courage and action now. ”
Bosnia has become an obstacle for thousands of migrants hoping to reach Western Europe. Most are stranded in the Krajina region of western Bosnia because other areas of the ethnically divided nation have refused to accept them. The EU has warned Bosnia that thousands of expatriates are facing cold winters without shelter, and has urged the country’s conflicting politicians to put aside their differences and take action.
On Saturday, people flocked to the camp to get water and food provided by the Bosnian Red Cross, as police demanded that order be maintained. Some migrants wore facial scars to protect against coronavirus.
“We live like animals. Even animals live better lives than we do! A man from Pakistan said he only identified himself by his first name Qasim. “If they don’t help us, we’ll die, so please help us.”
Residents have protested plans to temporarily relocate migrants to a closed facility in central Bihak.
Leaving the settlement unattended, the migrants laid carbord on the floor and erected temporary barriers to privacy inside the only permanent tent at the Lipa camp. Some held their wet feet over a small fire that the migrants burned outside to warm up, while some wrapped tightly in blankets for warmth. Many migrants wore sneakers despite the snow.
To get to Croatia, migrants always use illegal routes in the mountainous region along the border. Many have complained of violence and pushbacks by Croatian police.
