- A testimony documented by No Border Serbia -
The situation here in Serbia is very difficult for us. I would say this could be the worst time for us since we left our homeland. Let me write just about one story, from this you can imagine what we are facing on this journey.
We were a group of about 23 guys, when we reached near the border we saw there is a lot of control in the area. That night it was a heavy rain. After waiting for the whole night we did not manage to cross. Early in the morning we were told to go back to Subotica where we supposed to decide in which route we are going to try again. We asked the smugglers to cover the bus tickets or pay the taxi but they told us that this time there are no buses and taxis, so you have to walk. After walking for about 5 hours we arrived back to Subotica.
The situation here in Serbia is very difficult for us. I would say this could be the worst time for us since we left our homeland. Let me write just about one story, from this you can imagine what we are facing on this journey.
We were a group of about 23 guys, when we reached near the border we saw there is a lot of control in the area. That night it was a heavy rain. After waiting for the whole night we did not manage to cross. Early in the morning we were told to go back to Subotica where we supposed to decide in which route we are going to try again. We asked the smugglers to cover the bus tickets or pay the taxi but they told us that this time there are no buses and taxis, so you have to walk. After walking for about 5 hours we arrived back to Subotica.
The next day, after 6 hours walking they took us to a specific place near the border and told us to sit in the jungle. After half hour waiting we moved more near, there, we saw two high fences. They told us that they will cut the first fence and we have to climb on the second one and then to run. Some of the guys told them that it is very difficult to climb on that fence (it was about 4 meters high), but they just told us when we cut the first fence and anyone of you didn’t try to climb and comes back, we will cut those with knives.
They cut the first fence, and told us to climb and then to run. When they cut the fence all the guys started to run and climb on the second one, although some of us could not do that, it was very difficult, but at least we had to try. When we tried to climb on the second fence, as we touched it, we felt electric shocks. They kept telling us to climb and hurry up, some of the guys when they felt the electric shocks , they wanted to go back, but the smugglers kept shouting on them. At last hardly we manage to climb over the fence and started running towards the jungle. After 5 minutes a lot of police cars came to the point where the fence was cut. They started to search for us in the jungle. We continued to run without stopping to escape from them. After 20 minutes continuous running we hide in a place in the forest. We saw the hungarian police/border hunters with lights searching for us. When those on the ground did not find us they called for a helicopter. We were hiding and the helicopter was flying over us. After 30 min they found us, they started running towards us and they start to beat us, kick us and abuse everyone. They were shouting on us with their machine guns to terrorize us, and they beat us a lot. They wear ocher shirts and camouflage pants with machine guns in their hands. They took us to a specific place where their colleagues were, I guess it was another unit ( they wear different uniforms). We were told to sit in one line. Then, they called another team ( blue uniforms with dogs), they set the dogs on us and beat us more. When someone was crying, being scared from the dogs, they were laughing on him. They asked us whom of us can speak english, romanian, serbian, hungarian… because of the fear that they will ask more and more questions nobody wanted to speak in english. They told us that if non of us wants to speak, they will beat us again. Then I realized that they are going to beat us all, so I stood out from the group and told them that I can speak a bit of English.
“Come on we were looking for you!” – like in the movies.
They separated me from the group and took me behind the cars, they wanted me to tell them where are the other guys. I told them I don’t know where they are. They kept telling me that I know where the others are. I said I don’t know, when we crossed the fence we all run in different directions, how can I know where the others are. They kept shouting on me:
“We saw in the camera that 17 guys crossed the border, where are the others?”
They thought I was the leader of the group, because they found the power bank in my bag. For them it was a proof of being a “leader”.
When they realized that I am not going to tell them about the other guys, as I had no idea where they are, they started to beat me. They were 4 ( two in military uniforms and two in police uniforms), they beat me a lot, then they took me back to the group and they told me to lay down on the ground with extended arms above my head, like the others. We were told to not look at them. They started to beat us again, using sticks and kicking us. They were making fun of us, laughing on us. After that one of them started to walk on us, they were enjoying, laughing, and abusing us . Once again one of them, I think he was the senior officer came to me and beat my head with his stick and kept shouting to tell them about the others from the group. They also told me to tell them how we crossed and who brought us here.
We were laying on the ground like that for more than two hours. They turned their lights on my eyes and demanded to tell them about the smugglers and the route. They were making fun of me.
“ Will you come back to Hungary again? If you try to come, we will be here, waiting for you, because we love to fight with you…”
After more than two hours they told us to stand in one line, they brought the police van, one by one they took us into the van, they were kicking and abusing us. When we asked about our bags and stuff they shouted: “ Get into the van as we said.” We never got back our stuff. My diary was inside my bag. It is the 3rd diary I have lost.
In the van one of them told me that when we arrive, there will be more of them waiting to beat us, so we don’t come again. We arrived near the fence, there was a lot of police cars, they took us out one by one, and took a picture of us, they were still laughing. We had to stand in one line, then they gave us a paper written in pashto that we will be punished if we try to enter hungary again.
They brought us back to Serbia. Now I started to write my 4th diary.
At the end I would say that the way how they were treating and acting towards us was totally based on racism, as I was realizing at that time that it is clearly a war against people without papers.
They cut the first fence, and told us to climb and then to run. When they cut the fence all the guys started to run and climb on the second one, although some of us could not do that, it was very difficult, but at least we had to try. When we tried to climb on the second fence, as we touched it, we felt electric shocks. They kept telling us to climb and hurry up, some of the guys when they felt the electric shocks , they wanted to go back, but the smugglers kept shouting on them. At last hardly we manage to climb over the fence and started running towards the jungle. After 5 minutes a lot of police cars came to the point where the fence was cut. They started to search for us in the jungle. We continued to run without stopping to escape from them. After 20 minutes continuous running we hide in a place in the forest. We saw the hungarian police/border hunters with lights searching for us. When those on the ground did not find us they called for a helicopter. We were hiding and the helicopter was flying over us. After 30 min they found us, they started running towards us and they start to beat us, kick us and abuse everyone. They were shouting on us with their machine guns to terrorize us, and they beat us a lot. They wear ocher shirts and camouflage pants with machine guns in their hands. They took us to a specific place where their colleagues were, I guess it was another unit ( they wear different uniforms). We were told to sit in one line. Then, they called another team ( blue uniforms with dogs), they set the dogs on us and beat us more. When someone was crying, being scared from the dogs, they were laughing on him. They asked us whom of us can speak english, romanian, serbian, hungarian… because of the fear that they will ask more and more questions nobody wanted to speak in english. They told us that if non of us wants to speak, they will beat us again. Then I realized that they are going to beat us all, so I stood out from the group and told them that I can speak a bit of English.
“Come on we were looking for you!” – like in the movies.
They separated me from the group and took me behind the cars, they wanted me to tell them where are the other guys. I told them I don’t know where they are. They kept telling me that I know where the others are. I said I don’t know, when we crossed the fence we all run in different directions, how can I know where the others are. They kept shouting on me:
“We saw in the camera that 17 guys crossed the border, where are the others?”
They thought I was the leader of the group, because they found the power bank in my bag. For them it was a proof of being a “leader”.
When they realized that I am not going to tell them about the other guys, as I had no idea where they are, they started to beat me. They were 4 ( two in military uniforms and two in police uniforms), they beat me a lot, then they took me back to the group and they told me to lay down on the ground with extended arms above my head, like the others. We were told to not look at them. They started to beat us again, using sticks and kicking us. They were making fun of us, laughing on us. After that one of them started to walk on us, they were enjoying, laughing, and abusing us . Once again one of them, I think he was the senior officer came to me and beat my head with his stick and kept shouting to tell them about the others from the group. They also told me to tell them how we crossed and who brought us here.
We were laying on the ground like that for more than two hours. They turned their lights on my eyes and demanded to tell them about the smugglers and the route. They were making fun of me.
“ Will you come back to Hungary again? If you try to come, we will be here, waiting for you, because we love to fight with you…”
After more than two hours they told us to stand in one line, they brought the police van, one by one they took us into the van, they were kicking and abusing us. When we asked about our bags and stuff they shouted: “ Get into the van as we said.” We never got back our stuff. My diary was inside my bag. It is the 3rd diary I have lost.
In the van one of them told me that when we arrive, there will be more of them waiting to beat us, so we don’t come again. We arrived near the fence, there was a lot of police cars, they took us out one by one, and took a picture of us, they were still laughing. We had to stand in one line, then they gave us a paper written in pashto that we will be punished if we try to enter hungary again.
They brought us back to Serbia. Now I started to write my 4th diary.
At the end I would say that the way how they were treating and acting towards us was totally based on racism, as I was realizing at that time that it is clearly a war against people without papers.
Picture: BBC