ms | Balkanroute

Update from No Border Serbia:

Dear brothers and sisters, here are some updates about the current situation (03.10.2015), these are independent information from activists and refugees from the terrain. Please keep in mind, that everything is changing quickly, so there is no guarantee that these information will be valid for longer time.

Shortly about the general situation

As an outcome of recent changes, and increased number of people passing this way, there is now a “humanitarian corridor” organized by governments, leading from Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, into Croatia and further to Hungary and hopefully your preferred destination. The police in cooperation with humanitarian organisations (Red cross, UNHCR ) are controlling and managing the new route. It often means waiting for hours in lines for crossing the border, or to enter a registration camp, or waiting for organized transport, so humiliating conditions, but still it seems people arrive to their destination in shorter time than before.

To Hungary from Serbia The north border between Serbia and Hungary (area of Subotica, Horgoš border crossing) became less passable. There is information that people who cross directly from Serbia to Hungary are going under full procedure of asylum and their fingerprints are taken. Besides, because of the new law, which criminalizes »illegal« border crossing, you might face harsh repression. It seems better to avoid crossing from Serbia directly to Hungary, but instead to go through Croatia, where the »corridor« is leading currently.

The route Serbia-Croatia-Hungary The biggest number of crossings from Serbia to Croatia are near Šid (Bapska border crossing). After crossing the border, you will be brought (by buses or police vans) to a camp (Opatovac, 15km from the Serbian border) where they register you (name and picture, no fingerprints). After the registration (it should not last more than 24h) they will take you by buses or trains towards the Hungarian border. The trip will take you about 5 hours. Be careful, maybe in the hurry they will separate families. Be persistent not to lose your family members. After entering Hungary (people are transferred from the border to Szentgotthard and Hegyeshalom open camps, on the border with Austria. As far as we know, Hungarian police in the last 10 days did not take fingerprint from people entering over Croatia.

IMPORTANT! Hungary is building a fence on the Croatian border too. If you want to travel by your own, use the ways where is no fence. It’s not recommended to touch the fence, or to go under it, according to the new law of Hungary, it’s a criminal act and you can end up in prison.

Slovenia At the moment, the large governments-organised »corridor« is NOT going through Slovenia. If Hungary closes its borders and the route changes, it is likely the buses will drive people to Slovenia – but for now it seems better (quicker, cheaper, safer and fingerprint-free) to use the »corridor«. If you arrive individually at the Slovenian border, we are not sure what might happen. If you plan to travel through Slovenia the best is to contact the independent solidarity group (see contacts below) and inform them that you are at the border and plan to enter, so they can monitoring how will the authorities act with your group.

Austria Most people are brought via HU to Hegyeshalom, where you will walk to the Austrian side. In Austria you will get registered (no digital fingerprints so far) and they will take you to a different location. If you are lucky, you might be taken close to the German border, otherwise you need to make the trip by yourself. So far, crossing into GER is possible at the different border points (Salzburg, Tyrol, Upper Austria). Recent days showed that GER police registers people but there were also some possibilities to continue the journey by oneself if one does not want to stay in their camps. Relations between GER and AUT grow more tense each day. As long as Germany keeps their borders open, Austria will probably do the same.

Please be aware that everything is changing all the time. We would be happy to get updates from you, of course in case you have time and energy for it. Sharing your personal experience about changes and other useful information can be precious for the people who will travel the same way.

Contacts:

In Serbia No border collective> info number: 00381616450529 (viber and what’s up), mail: noborderserbia@riseup.net

In Croatia info number: 00385998458911, mail: noborderzagreb@riseup.net

In Slovenia info number : 00386 30 321 843 (viber and what’s up, but not online all the time, better to send a message and people will try to call you back), mail: frontabrezmeja@gmail.com

Welcome to Europe network > Independent information for refugees and migrants, Web page: www.w2eu.info, mail: w2eu_info@yahoo.com // w2eu@hotmail.com

If you lost your child(ren) there is an EU emergency number: 116000. If you are looking for your relatives: +43 591 331 033 33

We wish you a safe journey. Freedom of movement and right to travel for all! Down with fences and walls!Solidarity is our power!

download the info-flyer here the in pdf:

info-flyer (updated 03.10.1015) ENG

info-flyer (updated 03.10.) ARABIC