Dear brothers and sisters,
here are some updates about the current situation (22.10.2015), these are independent information from activists and migrants 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.
GENERAL INFO Since Hungary closed its borders (on Friday, 16th of October), the large governments-organized »corridor« has been changed, and it’s AGAIN going through Slovenia. Governments try to slow down the entering and limit the number of people who can enter. Austria and Slovenia only accept to take up a certain number of people per day (Austria authorities said only 1500, Slovenia 2500), so Croatia does the same. This leads to people being stuck for a day or more, unable to continue their traveling. The weather became very cold, there is lack of everything (food, blankets, warm clothes, shoes…).
SITUATION ON ROUTE THROUGH CROATIA People are entering Croatia at the border crossing Bapska (near Šid). There is a barricade where Croatian police tries to stop people. Usually after waiting the whole night in mud and cold the police let a bigger group of people to enter, usually early in the morning. But the last days, few times happened that people simply overcome the barricade and run through the fields. After entering Croatia it’s still hard to continue the journey by your own, so people have to wait again for the organized buses, which bring them to the 17km far registration camp Opatovac (there they take name and picture, no fingerprint so far). It can happen that people have to walk from the border till Opatovac camp if there are no buses coming. After the registration the transport is controlled by the Croatian police, most of the migrants travel by trains until Čakovec (Croatia). There they are divided in smaller groups and continue their journey to Slovenia by buses to border crossigs Dolga vas, Petišovci, Gruškovje and Obrežje, or by train to Središče ob Dravi. Another smaller groups of people are being transported with buses to the Croatian-Slovenian border directly from Opatovac camp. The trains from Croatia can be denied access to Slovenia, so people get stuck on the border again. Note that the transport in Croatia is free of costs. Many people lost their family members, friends because the police separated them. Please be careful and try to stick together all the time.
SITUATION ON ROUTE THROUGH SLOVENIA State authorities established two types of centers, registration centers on the border with Croatia and accommodation centers on the border with Austria. Registration centers are Dolga vas, Petišovci, Središče ob Dravi, Gruškovje and Obrežje. Accommodation centers are Šentilj and Gornja Radgona. Registration centers are under the police authority, accommodation under Civil Protection. Registration takes place in big tents. Around one person in two minutes. Police takes photo and fingerprints (we are not sure if this fingerprint is sent to the EURODAC database, which could lead to a Dublin deportation back to SLO). Police issues permit to stay for six months (only in Slovene language). During the registration transit process there is no wi-fi in centers, no chargers for phones. Translators employed by police are there only to interpret during registration procedures. In short time people are taken by buses to accommodation centers where they can have rest and are again quite quickly move on by foot to Austrian side of the border.
AUSTRIA The rumor that Austria closed the borders is NOT true. Austria announced they will not close the border as long as Germany also keeps the border open. Since the change of the route through Slovenia, people cross the border to Austria mainly at the official crossings at Spielfeld and Radkersburg. After some waiting time, people are brought to transitional housing facilities. The general situation is, that it is still possible to cross to Germany, but be prepared for some waiting time in the process, as the German police is quite slow in receiving the people.
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 https://twitter.com/BrezMeja
Welcome to Europe network > Independent information for refugees and migrants Web page: www.w2eu.info Mails: 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:
(NOTE!!!: from 17th of October the part about Hungary in the Flyer is not valid anymore. There will be an updated version of the text hopefully soon)
info-flyer (updated 03.10.1015) ENG
info-flyer (updated 03.10.) ARABIC
info-flyer (updated 03.10.) FARSI.odt
info-flyer (updated 03.10.) KURDI
info-flyer (updated 03.10.) PASHTO
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also: we recommend to check out the new blog// pozivamo vas da pogledate novi blog
What is this?
Europe is currently experiencing the long summer of migration. While in
the beginning of September 2015, the events were centred on Hungary,
Austria and Germany, by now the situation has moved South, towards
Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey.
In this live feed, provided by the network Welcome To Europe, we are
gathering, on a day to day basis, verified information. By this, we aim at:
1. inform on the changing patterns of refugee reception and border
closures in the various countries between Turkey and Germany, Sweden…
2. inform on the humanitarian situation enfolding at the different sites
3. contribute to the coordination of voluntary solidarity and support
efforts
4. providing verified information
The European Union and its member states have failed miserably at
dealing with the situation, i.e. providing reception and accomodation
infrastructure for refugees, opening up safe passages for refugees
towards shelter and protection and providing accurate and relevant
information. We will have to do it ourselves. Join the effort!
If you want to share information, please contact via
Email: live[at]w2eu.info
no border serbia 