Skip to content
Support our work

The police knows me, they know I'm a refugee. First time I was pushed back I was shocked, now I got used to the violence.

Date & Time 2022-09-03
Location Croatia, close to Ćuić Brdo
Reported by Anonymous
Coordinates 45.03919216, 15.64057208
Pushback from Croatia
Pushback to Bosnia
Taken to a police station no
Minors involved no
WLTI* involved no
Men involved yes
Age 20 - 28
Group size 4
Countries of origin Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey
Treatment at police station or other place of detention
Overall number of policemen and policewomen involved 6
Violence used beating (with batons/hands/other), kicking, dog attacks, forcing to undress, theft of personal belongings, reckless driving
Police involved 6 officers in blue uniforms, 2 cars, dogs (number unlcear)

On the 10th of March 2022, four people were pushed back by Croatian police who beat them badly. 

The respondent together with three other people (from Pakistan and Afghanistan) started their ‘game’ on the 7th of March 2022. They walked for three days in the forest and then they crossed the Bosnian border walking through the mountain. The weather was very cold and the respondent said they ate only one can of tuna per day. 

On Wednesday at 11 am the group saw a drone flying above them; after some time, six Croatian policemen with two police cars belonging to regular police (temelnja policija), as described by the respondent arrived. They were dressed in blue uniforms. The respondent tried to run away, but he didn’t manage to escape.

“They took all our things. We only had one phone, and they took it. Then they took all our clothes to check everything, everywhere. I was naked, I felt really bad. Then they gave our clothes back.” 

The respondent added also that

“They beat us on our legs, on our arms, and on our head, also with a baton. They had dogs, they released them against us. The dogs tried to bite me.”

The police loaded them on one of the police cars and drove for two hours to the Bosnian border, close to Ostrovica. The respondent claims the driver tried to confuse them by making unnecessary turns while driving. The group walked back to Bihać; they arrived on Thursday, early in the morning, after many hours of walking.

“The police know me, they know I’m a refugee. The first time I was pushed back I was shocked, now I got used to the violence.”