At the Gates of Europe

Since September 15, 2015, the Balkan route, taken by thousands of refugees from the Middle East to reach Europe, has changed. The fence erected at the Serbian-Hungarian border at the request of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has led to derive the flow of migrants. Until September 15, the refugees used to go directly from Belgrade to Budapest, crossing the Serbian-Hungarian border illegally, at night. Now they must go through Croatia, further west. Since mid-September, Croatia faces a massive influx of refugees in the northeast. More than 80 000 refugges entered Croatia, most of whom have already left the country via Hungary to Western Europe. Most of them went through Tovarnik train station. They arrive here by hundreds and leave with few buses and trains chartered by the Croatian state. Many families from Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Iran, some separated on the road, waiting to finally get on a train to join Germany, the promised land for most of refugees.