At Europe’s borders, migrants and refugees are denied their basic human rights

Migrants and refugees trying to reach Europe face enormous risks, including abuse by smugglers, freezing winter temperatures, and crossing unfamiliar and dangerous terrain such as forests and fast-flowing rivers. fast. This is an often terrifying situation where theft, injury and even death are the price to pay.

In March 2016, the closure of the Western Balkans route to Europe left thousands stranded and facing an uncertain future, many living in unsafe housing. European borders have been militarized with aggressive controls, fences and border patrols, with little respect for human dignity.

In Serbia, most refugees and migrants live in abandoned warehouses behind Belgrade’s main train station.

Yet, every day, people try to cross the border, driven by the desire to continue their journey to find a better life in Europe, despite the lack of access to asylum procedures and the fear of being mistreated in the countries of the Balkans.

Rather than being places of safety, these countries have failed to offer protection to many new arrivals. A new NGO report reveals that migrants and refugees in Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Hungary and Bulgaria are regularly mistreated by law enforcement. Violence and intimidation are used to illegally push them back and deny them access to asylum procedures, even though such actions are strictly prohibited under international human rights law.

Lack of space in government accommodation, coercion by smugglers and fear of deportation by authorities have pushed people into inhumane and degrading conditions.

We have collected testimonies of systematic abuse and brutal treatment by police, border guards and other officials, including accounts of people being stripped naked in freezing temperatures and having cold water poured on them. , dog attacks, beatings and thefts.

Even when people have decided to try to stay, they are routinely denied access to asylum procedures and appropriate information. In some cases, their requests are completely ignored.

Camping in inadequate shelters, migrants were exposed to freezing temperatures throughout the winter.

Such brutal tactics are deliberately used to forcibly push people back to their former transit country or even to another country. Without explanation or the possibility of seeking asylum, thousands of people have already been illegally deported.

The authorities deport them from one country to another outside the justice system, without their individual cases being heard, without legal assistance or interpreters and without any possibility of appeal.

All migrants living in Belgrade tried in vain to cross the border into Hungary or Croatia. Many suffered physical violence from police as they tried.

Such actions create a climate of fear and distrust. This is causing more people than ever to avoid official systems and instead rely on smugglers to continue their journey to places elsewhere in Europe that they hope are safer.

The governments of Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Hungary and Bulgaria must immediately end all illegal pushbacks and collective expulsions. They must urgently investigate crimes committed against migrants, including refugees, and introduce measures to prevent future violations. All governments must ensure that people in need of international protection have access to fair and effective asylum procedures.

Photos: Miodrag Ćakić/Info Park

Oxfam’s humanitarian response

Oxfam supports vulnerable migrants and asylum seekers currently living outside and inside designated accommodation sites in Serbia. Assistance provided in partnership with local organizations ranges from basic necessities such as food and clothing, to legal advice, including support for people who have been pushed back across borders.

You can help: support our work with migrants and refugees