Balkan route

On the journey of our human rights delegation to the Bosnian-Croatian border we met many desperate refugees. They have told us about severe mistreatment by Croatian border police. They shamelessly beat, rob and humiliate the refugees and send them back to Bosnia or Serbia.

In December 2017, Croatian border guards ordered the Afghan family Hussiny to return to Serbia at night on railway tracks. Madina, the family's six-year-old daughter, was hit by a train in the dark and died.

These deportations are illegal. But the blatant human rights violations are covered by the EU, which wants to seal off its eastern external border in Croatia. Switzerland is co-responsible because, like the EU, it sends border guards to Croatia. This cooperation is completely unacceptable. Moreover, Switzerland has not taken any political or humanitarian initiative to ease the fate of the refugees blocked in Bosnia.

On our journey we saw many terrible things, but also good and noble things. In Bosnia and Croatia, for example, there are small local initiatives to help the refugees: People who suffered the Bosnian civil war and distribute 400 free meals a day as well as clothes and shoes. Women from a peace initiative in Zagreb provide legal aid, document the violence at the border and file complaints.

All these initiatives are struggling with great financial difficulties. With your donation you help these committed people to continue their valuable work for the refugees.

Thank you very much for your solidarity!