KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Police in Bosnia and Herzegovina detained 96 migrants, including 18 Afghan nationals, in two separate operations after they attempted to cross the country’s border illegally, local media reported.
The migrants were detained on Wednesday, Sept. 2, in the city of Bistrica in operations conducted by border police in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior of the Republika Srpska, according to the Sarajevo Times.
Police first prevented a group of 63 migrants from crossing the border illegally on Wednesday afternoon. The group included 40 Pakistani nationals and 23 Bangladeshi nationals, the report said.
Later the same day, police stopped another group of 33 migrants. They included 18 Afghan nationals, 13 Pakistani nationals and two Bangladeshi nationals.
Bosnia’s police did not provide further details about those detained, including their intended destination, but said the cases were under investigation.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is located along one of the migration routes used by people seeking to reach European Union countries. Migrants travelling from Asia and the Middle East often pass through Turkey and the Balkan states before attempting to reach countries farther west and north in Europe.
Afghans make up a significant share of migrants travelling along routes toward Europe. Many leave Afghanistan because of economic hardship, limited employment opportunities and political instability, while some say they fear persecution following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
The latest incident follows similar detentions of Afghan nationals elsewhere in Europe. Bulgarian police detained 35 Afghan migrants last month while they were attempting to cross the country illegally, according to local reports. In July, Polish authorities detained 15 Afghan nationals who were attempting to enter the country through an irregular route.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that around eight million Afghans have left the country since 2020, with about one million reaching European countries, mostly via irregular migration. The agency has reported at least 5,046 Afghan migrant deaths since 2014.
Many of those attempting the journey face long and hazardous conditions along smuggling routes, including risks of exploitation, detention, violence and life-threatening situations, before they are able to seek asylum or other forms of protection in Europe.
