Sombor, Serbia,08/02/18

Close to the Croatian border in north west Serbia hundreds of migrants from Pakistan are hiding from the authorities in forests whilst they prepare to cross into the European Union illegally.

Behind the Sombor refugee camp, hundreds of migrants from Pakistan have taken shelter in the forest. The migrants choose to live in the forest because they fear if they were to apply for asylum legally and live in the government run camps then they would be denied and then deported back to Pakistan.

Inside a tent constructed from bin bags, tarpaulin and old blankets, Fahad from Lahore explained the groups predicament.

“We are all from Pakistan. Some from cities and others from the villages. Some are Afghan nationality but grew up and live in Pakistan so claim they face persecution.
I am from Lahore and have just finished my studies. I want to go to Germany to work, then send money home for my family. There are young and old men here but we all just want to make money and start a new life in Europe. We can’t live in the camp because we are Pakistani and not on the list of refugee countries.”

Sombor has a large refugee camp holding hundreds of asylum seekers who are waiting for their asylum applications to be processed legally before moving onwards to Hungary or Croatia and then on into the European Union.

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 Croatian side are rife among the refugee and migrant populations across Serbia with some reporting beatings, robbery and illegal detainment.