Hundreds of migrants, including Bangladeshis, detained at Bosnia-Croatia border

Bosnia’s border police detained at least 100 migrants, including at least 23 Bangladeshi nationals, while they were allegedly attempting to enter European Union member Croatia illegally from the Bosnia border, police said.

AFP, citing Bosnia’s border police, reported that the migrants were detained in two separate operations at a border point in the Bistrica area of northern Bosnia on Thursday.

Police said one operation resulted in the detention of a group of 40 Pakistani and 23 Bangladeshi nationals while crossing the border.

Another operation in the same area led to the detention of 33 more migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, according to the statement.

Police seized two boats allegedly used by the migrants to cross the border. Two people were also identified as suspects over alleged involvement in the human trafficking process.

The so-called Balkan route is among the most commonly used irregular routes for people from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh seeking to reach EU countries. Bosnia has largely been used as a major transit hub on the route.

According to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, more than 4,900 illegal border crossings were recorded on the Balkan route during the first seven months of this year, down 26 per cent from the same period last year.