Subotica, Serbia, 27/01/18

Close to the Hungarian border in northern Serbia hundreds of migrants from Pakistan are hiding from the authorities in abandoned building whilst they prepare to cross into the European Union illegally.

In an abandoned castle less than 5 miles from Serbia’s most northern border Mohammed from Islamabad, who declined to be on camera, explained.

“I have come from Islamabad, Pakistan so I can’t enter the legal way. Technically I am not a refugee. I have come because my family is poor and even though I have a degree in computer science I can’t find a job that will pay a good salary.
We are all from Pakistan here and are all planning to go to different places. Most of us want Italy because it’s a quick visa, other want Germany, France, Belgium or the UK because they have family who have already made the journey and can help them.”

The European Union member states of Croatia and Hungary have recently tightened their borders with the backing of Brussels, in order to stem the flow of illegal migration into the EU. Reports of police violence on the Hungarian side are rife among the refugee and migrant populations across Serbia with some reporting beatings, robbery and illegal detainment.