Yesterday, the Hungarian police registered 4.171 irregular border crossings at the Croatian-Hungarian border.

The previous post was actually about the Serbian side of the border near Bapska. Here are some details about the situation there:

There is an improvised camp organized by a Czech group which mainly takes care of refugees crossing the border, making sure this happens in a somewhat orderly fashion so that nobody gets hurt.

Since 11:30 no refugees have arrived. Probably this is because they have to be registered before entering Serbia; once this is done they will be arriving in large numbers during the night/early morning hours. Last night, there was a pause between 1:00 and 5:00 when lots of buses started coming again until 09:00 this morning.

The Red Cross has taken over and makes every supporter register with them. Everybody without registration is banned from continuing their work. This includes both the independent medical team and the people supporting refugees crossing the border. Experience suggests that even if you registered you would only get a vest and be ordered to give apples to refugees instead of continuing to try and really support them.

Local health authorities and the Red Cross have also banned the supporters from giving warm food or tea to refugees passing through. It has been claimed that the stomach problems many refugees are facing were caused by the hygienic conditions in the mobile kitchens. However people who are with Doctors Without Borders have said this is false, were fully supportive of the kitchen’s work and ate their food.

As a result, the mobile kitchen has closed and is being packed right now. There are reports that mobile kitchens in Croatia have also been having problems with health authorities.

Other than the independent supporters, there are several NGOs here who are giving out bananas, apples and tuna to refugees during the day and not much else, apparently.

The motivation behind all of this is obviously not to help refugees coming through as much as possible but to exert control and authority. This has even been openly admitted. And the people who put themselves in control made it very clear that they had no interest in talking to independent supporters who do not belong to any kind of organization.

A properly organized humanitarian aid is entirely possible; this is a homemade crisis.

Source: Activists from no border konvoi. The information has gone through a phone call and subsequent translation. Hopefully, it is still accurate.

Report from Bapska

Volunteers are not allowed anymore to help without registration at the Red Cross Croatia. But also with a registration it is forbidden to cook warm food for the refugees. It seams like the croatian police wants to expulse all volunteers out of Bapska. Per day minimum 10 to 15 buses with refugees are arriving at Bapska.

Yesterday, the Hungarian police registered 6.644 irregular border crossings. It can be  assumed that nearly all of them happened at the Croatian-Serbian border.

Update from Michal Berg:

• Almost all refugees still transit via BAPSKA, which is the only crossing point for refugees on Croatian/Serbian border. Makeshift camps are being organized on both sides of the border, so please split your attention to both sides. On Serbian side mostly Czech/German team, on Croatian side mostly Austrian/Croatian/Swedish volunteers.
• Refugees are brought here by Serbian buses and then moved further by Coratian buses – to Opatovac transit camp (if they need rest or medical treatment) and to trains and buses which takes them to Hungarian border. According to Croatian government, no one stays in Opatovac camp more than 24 hours.
• When arriving on place at Bapska to volunteer, please report yourself at the organizing team and please obey they instruction. Measures set on site was crucial to prevent injuries and other problems via crowd management, also significantly helped to gain trust from Croatian police, which is very helpful and willing to cooperate.
• Also these measures require lot of volunteers, so your help will be needed, some volunteers has been here for almost a week and need replacement.
• Quick food and water are always useful, as well as garbage bags 200 liters. Also because weather gets colder, warm jackets and other clothes, SHOES! (especially 41-44 size), SOCKS! – but please read about the transport of them across Serbian border. Also 5 liter water bottles, oranges, raincoats (unlimited number), headlights with batteries are needed. Food in larger quantities is also problem to delivery across the border, so please buy it in Serbia directly.
• If you are able to deliver diesel generator, outdoor wiring and lights, please do it. Also set of walkie-talkies (4-8) will be really helpful.
• Help in the area is coordinated by Matous, his number: +420 775 992 035 056
• Our volunteers traveling via Hungary/Serbia border crossings at Horgoš and Tompa are experiencing problems at the Serbian customs offices, which does not want to let them in the country without paying custom duties and declarations. PLEASE AVOID THESE BORDER CROSSINGS and go via Hungary/Croatia borders. Especially shoes and large amount of food are problematic, clothes has to be proven cleaned.
• Difficult situation is with delivering aid to Serbia – try to use Bajakovo highway border crossing, were traffic is heavy and there is a chance that police will not have enough time to search your car. Always try to reduce amount of aid you carry so it does not seem suspicious, also try to pretend you are not aid workers but just tourists. Cover supplies with your personal belonging and luggage. In case of problems, there is a possibility to leave your supplies at Tovarnik at Croatian side, but the size is limited.
• Location of Bapska makeshift camp is near Sid at Serbian side, when approaching Sid from west (from Tovarnik) turn left on light, and after 2,5 km turn slightly left when road turns right (fork type of crossroad), then through the fields cca 3,5 km and you arrive on the spot. Croatian side is easily accesible via Šarengrad.
• Bajakovo, Tovarnik, Batina and Ilok border crossings are now open for transit, so it may be possible to cross border via Ilok/Backa Palanka border crossing.

• MigrationAid needs volunteers for MAGYARBOLY / BEREMEND: VOLUNTEERS WANTED, especially who can be located there at least 2-3 days in a row at one of our crisis centres on the following dates: 30 September – 2 October (evening to evening),2 October – 4 October (evening to evening),4 October – 7 October (evening to evening). Transport of volunteers from Budapest is available. The volunteers are responsible to take care of the refugees, which includes preparation of sandwiches, keeping the site clean and distribution of donations. We are looking for 10 volunteers who would work in groups of 5 in two shifts of 12 hours. (8am-8pm, 8pm-8am). Please follow our donation lists – https://www.facebook.com/migrationaidhungary and http://www.migrationaid.net/english/ so we can continuously maintain our stocks. Contact: Siewert András, Tel: +36 30 895 1917, operation@migrationaid.net, www.facebook.com/siewert.org
•  ZAKANY – still hundreds of refugees crossing this place when boarding hungarian trains. At Tuesday there were enough volunteers, but they accept donations. Refugees at Zakany urgently need apples, sliced bread, packed cheese, small juices, baby stuff (pampers etc), plastic bags, milk for children. Zakany volunteers set up a twitter account to inform what is needed there: https://twitter.com/zakanysolidar
• Inforamtion about times of arrival of special trains from Tovarnik to Botovo/Zakany are published on twitter account of Croatian government – https://twitter.com/VladaRH

• PRESEVO – The situation is still problematic in Preshevo. Food/water is provided mostly by local NGOs and volunteers. Volunteers needed, please bring cash so you can buy supplies which are the most needed, contact Agon from the Youth Office when you come close: Tel. +381 628 54 94 69
• How to helo there? Take tnternational flights to Skopje, bus, taxi or rented cars to Preshevo. There is a need at the moment for raincoats (adults and children) and warm blankets. Also needed warm jackets and rainproof shoes/boots, warm socks and caps, especially for babies and children.
• For transports to Serbia see advice provided on this page, travel with small trucks and take crowded borders. For official transports contact Xhelal Hasani from the Center of Solidarity and Advancement Tel. +381 633 74 034, xhelal_hasani@hotmail.com

• Police department in Burgenland (Eastern Austria) has opened a 24hr hotline. Family members who are looking for their relatives can call: +43 591 331 033 33
• If you are willing to donate money, you can use my paypal paypal@esports.cz and I will move the funds immediatelly to the people on site. Thanks to those who already donated, money are on their way to Serbia and Croatia.
• Czech only: Odkaz na užitečný manuál pro dobrovolníky: http://dobrovolnici.jdem.cz/ – určitě čtěte před odjezdem.
• I case there is no evening update, morning update is still valid. We are trying to follow all major changes in situation so in case nothing important happens, you can follow instructions in morning updates. We would be happy to hear any changes or updates during the day via email or FB.
• Please always double check exact location, time and date of every report from situation before sharing. Don’t spread panic on social media without double checking the information. The more urgent the message sounds, the more it’s needed to double check and confirm. Please don’t share any information missing exact location, date and time, as this would cause more harm than good.
• When traveling to help, always take headlight, reflexion vest (!!!it’s really important, we have noted some problems identifying volunteers in recent days!!!), good shoes, protective gloves and warm clothes and be prepared for rain. And always try to contact anyone in charge of coordination on site and obey his instructions. And be careful!

Report from Hegyeshalom

In the morning around 1000 refugees startet the 5 km long walk to Nickelsdorf (Austria). It is allowed to transport old and sick persons by car to the border (with walking speed ). Four Persons from Red Cross are waiting in Hegyeshalom for the arriving refugees. There is a need in moment especially for Baby- and Children shoes and warm caps and scarfs.

According to the Hungarian police, in the 72 hours between last Friday and last Sunday 23.591 migrants crossed the Croatian-Hungarian border in an irregular manner.

Report from Zákány:

Last night at 1 a.m. a train to the Austrian border with about 1.650 people left from Zákány. Before, the refugees were brought with a train to the Croatian side of the border. At about 4 a.m. another 1.500 people passed the green border from Croatia to Zákány. Their train has already left as well. During the day, another 1.300 people arrived. They already entered the train but it is still waiting at the train station in Zákány. Volunteers and donations are urgently needed.

We received reports, that since today the Croatian police checks (foreign) volunteers much more then the days before.

Bericht aus Barcs:

Wir waren eben am Grenzübergang. Hier sind keine Busse. UntersützerInnen haben heute den ganzen Tag vergeblich in Barcs gewartet.  Dieser Grenzübergang wird (momentan) nicht genutzt.