Photos: Migrants brave harsh Bosnian winter to cross into EU

The approach of the tough Balkan winter spells tough times for the migrants that remain stuck in the region while trying to reach Western Europe, with hundreds of them staying in make-shift camps with no heating or facilities. Many are stuck evading police near Croatia's border, 20 kilometers from the Bosnian town of Bihac, where hundreds of migrants are staying in a makeshift camp waiting for a chance to cross. Croatia is one of the 28 nations in the European Union, while Bosnia is not.

Updated on: Nov 30, 2018 9:48 AM IST

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A group of migrants moves through a forest on the Pljesevica Mountain in Bihac, Bosnia. Braving cold weather and snow, dozens are heading daily up a steep mountain pass toward neighbouring Croatia, trying to slip by unnoticed by border guards or police. Carrying sleeping bags and personal belongings, the migrants tread slowly through the snow in groups, with some waving: “See you in Europe!” (Amel Emric / AP)

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Migrants warm near a fire at a camp for migrants, in Bihac. Croatia’s border is 20 kilometers from this Bosnian town, where hundreds of migrants are staying in a makeshift camp waiting for a chance to cross. Croatia is one of the 28 nations in the European Union, while Bosnia is not. (Amel Emric / AP)

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Migrants keep warm at a shelter in Bihac. The narrow road winds up the Pljesivica mountain through the forest and migrants must walk for hours before they reach the Croatian border. With the weather worsening in the past several days, migrants now face snow and freezing temperatures on their trek, setting off in the afternoon to reach the border in the dark. (Amel Emric / AP)

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Migrants prepare food by a fire at a shelter in Bihac. Thousands of migrants from the Middle East, Africa or Asia have been flocking to northwestern Bosnia for the crossing, and many must try several times before they manage to slip past the border police. (Amel Emric / AP)

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Impoverished and still recovering from its own 1992-95 war, Bosnia has had difficulties properly accommodating the migrants. At the migrant camp in Bihac, wet snow is falling, mud is everywhere and tents offer little comfort from Bosnia’s harsh winter. (Amel Emric / AP)

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Clothes hang from a rope at a window of a shelter. Some migrants wear only worn-out shoes and no socks as they line up to receive a hot meal from aid groups helping out in the Borici camp, a former student dormitory damaged during the war. (Amel Emric / AP)

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A migrants prepares food. “It’s very difficult to survive here,” said Feroz Han Amanazay from Afghanistan, noting that the water is cold, there is no heating and the tents are too big to warm up. (Amel Emric / AP)

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Migrants wrapped in blankets wait for food distribution. Nur Rahman, also from Afghanistan, agrees the situation is “very difficult” and says the migrants need more clothes and medicine. But he says they won’t give up their quest to reach the EU. “We are planning to cross the mountain, even if it’s minus 50 every day,” he said. (Amel Emric / AP)