Original Report
The respondents are two approx. 30-year-old men from Afghanistan. Both tell us about working for the U.S Military in the past. After making it to Croatia, on 11th October evening, they crossed the border from Croatia to Slovenia with a group of 5 people and walked to the small village Ponikve (8261 Slovenia). The group was composed of 4 sigle men and 1 minor, all from Afghanistan. After that, they were caught by 4 Slovenian police officers – wearing blu uniforms but the flags were unknown to the respondents). The officers slapped them in the face and were forced to sit down. One person asked to go to pee. One of the officers pointed his gun at him with the words: “Go to pee but if you run I´ll shoot you!”.
Around midnight the group was transported to the next police station, where they expressed their wish to seek asylum. But one police officer answered: “You can not ask for asylum here! ” and “Maybe you will go to prison”. They had to sign papers. A translator (Pakistani) was there but, according to the respondents, they told to “just sign” the papers. One man had to pay 480 Euro in the police station for illegal crossing the border.
After signing the papers the group was handed over to the Croatian police (in the early morning). They were arrested in a “detention center” for approximately 13 hours. According to one respondent this detention center was approx. 1 hour away from the border by car.
At 6 o´clock in the evening of the 12th October, all the 5 men were deported to the “Bosnian Jungle”. The Croatian officers stole their belongings (phones, clothes, money) and the group did not know their location. The transit group were hit with sticks. The police officers wore blue clothes and balaclavas. One respondent described the actions of the police as “worse than the Taliban”.
After being pushed back, the group walked through the Bosnian woods and reached the town of Bihac.