Migrants clash with Bosnian police at Croatian border

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - More than a hundred migrants on Wednesday clashed with Bosnian police while trying to cross the border into neighboring Croatia, a member of the European Union.

The migrants, who had been camping at the Maljevac border crossing since Tuesday, ran through the police barriers in morning hours, chanting "open the borders".

The barrier was set up by the Border Police of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH). The clash between police officers and migrants resulted in a number of injuries.

Meanwhile, police stopped a train, coming from the capital Sarajevo, in the town of Bihac, not allowing the passengers -- mostly migrants -- to leave the train.

Also, buses carrying migrants were sent back to prevent new arrivals.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Security Minister Dragan Mektic said that asylum seekers on the train will be resettled in Sarajevo, where they will be returned to by bus.

Security measures were also increased at the border of Croatia.

Thousands of migrants have been staying in northwestern Bosnia and trying to cross the Croatian border on their way to other EU countries.

Recently, migrants -- mostly nationals of Afghanistan and Pakistan -- marched to the Croatian border to draw attention.

Majid Dayyani, an asylum seeker who has been waiting at the border, stressed the negative conditions of the situation they were in.

"We are asylum seekers. We have no country. We want to go from here and continue our lives," said Dayyani.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has found itself in the midst of a migrant crisis with a government crying over lack of funds.

After the Balkan route -- through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary or Croatia -- was closed for refugees in March 2016, Bosnia is being used as an alternate route.